Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

City of Bruceville Eddy

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

5

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0750 ppb42ND - 0.160 ppb
20190.0833 ppb91ND - 0.750 ppb
20200.0900 ppb21ND - 0.180 ppb
20210.0600 ppb31ND - 0.180 ppb
2022ND40ND
20230.0333 ppb31ND - 0.1000 ppb

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
2018-01-22AE09707ND
2018-04-03AE210840.160 ppb
2018-04-03AE210860.140 ppb
2018-12-03AE47647ND
2019-02-26AE56096ND
2019-05-21AE67491ND
2019-05-21AE674920.750 ppb
2019-05-21AE67493ND
2019-05-21AE67496ND
2019-08-08AE77858ND
2019-08-08AE77859ND
2019-08-08AE77860ND
2019-10-02AE85560ND
2020-03-02AF00716ND
2020-11-04AF331500.180 ppb
2021-01-19AF39892ND
2021-05-25AF554520.180 ppb
2021-05-25AF55454ND
2022-05-16AF97094ND
2022-05-16AF97095ND
2022-05-16AF97097ND
2022-07-06AG03353ND
2023-08-14AG52481ND
2023-10-10AG59203ND
2023-12-13AG665660.1000 ppb