Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Fayette Water Supply Corporation West

Atrazine is a herbicide commonly detected in drinking water that comes from cornfield and other agricultural runoff. It is a hormone disrupter that harms the male and female reproductive systems of people and wildlife. Read More.

Federal laws allow up to 3 parts per billion of atrazine in treated tap water. Water suppliers average atrazine measurements collected over a year, which means that the reported values underestimate intense spikes of elevated exposures during the periods in late spring and early summer when atrazine is applied in large amounts on farm fields.

Human epidemiological studies suggest that federal standards for atrazine are insufficient to protect public health. In 1999 the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal of 0.15 parts per billion for atrazine in drinking water, based on a study finding increased rates of breast cancer in rats exposed to the chemical. California’s legal maximum for atrazine in tap water is 1 ppb.

Click here to read more about atrazine.

 

29

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for atrazine was defined by EWG based on epidemiological studies of human exposure to atrazine in drinking water.. This health guideline protects against harm to the developing fetus, harm to the reproductive system and hormone disruption.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 3 ppb

The legal limit for atrazine, established in 1991, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit does not fully protect against harm to the reproductive system, harm to the developing fetus, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-06AE17127ND
2018-03-06AE17129ND
2018-03-06AE17130ND
2018-03-06AE17126ND
2018-04-24AE23817ND
2018-04-24AE23818ND
2019-06-13AE70699ND
2019-09-05AE82351ND
2019-11-21AE90227ND
2020-02-12AE98251ND
2020-04-13AF06415ND
2020-07-08AF18707ND
2020-11-16AF34690ND
2021-03-08AF45805ND
2021-03-31AF48582ND
2021-04-28AF51544ND
2021-04-28AF51545ND
2021-04-28AF51546ND
2021-04-28AF51547ND
2021-07-19AF62528ND
2021-10-05Q2127458001ND
2022-02-14AF84722ND
2022-05-31AF98867ND
2022-09-20AG13983ND
2022-10-12AG16880ND
2023-03-09AG32496ND
2023-04-04AG35466ND
2023-07-27AG50480ND
2023-10-17AG60127ND