Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

City of Chandler

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.

 

22

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND30ND
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
2018-05-31Q1821776004ND
2018-05-31Q1821776003ND
2018-10-15Q1840931007ND
2018-10-15Q1840931008ND
2018-10-15Q1840931009ND
2019-03-19Q1911348002ND
2019-03-19Q1911348014ND
2019-09-11Q1963871005ND
2020-03-24Q2012436013ND
2020-03-24Q2012436014ND
2020-06-23Q2025085011ND
2021-05-04Q2111316001ND
2021-05-04Q2111316004ND
2021-05-04Q2111316003ND
2021-05-04Q2111316002ND
2021-12-15Q2135508001ND
2022-03-31Q2210090001ND
2022-03-31Q2210090002ND
2022-03-31Q2210090003ND
2023-01-12Q2301951012ND
2023-01-12Q2301951022ND
2023-10-02Q2342088008ND