Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

West Gregg Special Utility District

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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
2018-09-13Q1836486006ND
2018-09-13Q1836486005ND
2018-12-05Q1849734001ND
2019-02-14Q1906942001ND
2019-02-14Q1906942012ND
2019-03-28Q1912650005ND
2019-03-28Q1912650006ND
2020-01-09Q2000956020ND
2020-01-09Q2000956021ND
2020-01-09Q2000956022ND
2021-06-15Q2115566001ND
2021-06-15Q2115566003ND
2021-06-15Q2115566002ND
2022-03-14Q2208516001ND
2022-08-17Q2224332005ND
2022-08-17Q2224332006ND
2022-08-17Q2224332007ND
2023-03-07Q2308919012ND
2023-03-07Q2308919021ND
2023-07-19Q2328453004ND