Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

City of Woodway

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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

12

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0425 ppb41ND - 0.170 ppb
20190.0700 ppb21ND - 0.140 ppb
20200.147 ppb65ND - 0.240 ppb
20210.0980 ppb53ND - 0.190 ppb
20220.0333 ppb31ND - 0.1000 ppb
20230.0675 ppb42ND - 0.140 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
2018-01-11AE090570.170 ppb
2018-01-11AE09056ND
2018-11-06AE45489ND
2018-11-06AE45490ND
2019-02-12AE54192ND
2019-11-15AE893570.140 ppb
2020-02-18AE98856ND
2020-02-18AE988570.180 ppb
2020-05-11AF102390.240 ppb
2020-08-12AF230760.120 ppb
2020-08-12AF230770.170 ppb
2020-10-13AF302750.170 ppb
2021-01-19AF39890ND
2021-01-19AF398960.190 ppb
2021-01-19AF39891ND
2021-04-05AF490240.190 ppb
2021-04-05AF490270.110 ppb
2022-02-15AF85004ND
2022-02-15AF850050.1000 ppb
2022-04-13AF93229ND
2023-03-08AG32263ND
2023-04-24AG378100.140 ppb
2023-04-24AG378110.130 ppb
2023-07-13AG48599ND