Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

San Jacinto 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.

 

26

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND60ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-03-12AE18028ND
2018-03-12AE18010ND
2019-03-13AE58301ND
2019-06-06AE69541ND
2019-08-01AE76897ND
2019-12-05AE91519ND
2020-01-22AE94516ND
2020-03-10AF02092ND
2020-03-10AF02093ND
2020-05-26AF12688ND
2020-09-29AF28912ND
2020-11-17AF34955ND
2021-03-08AF45824ND
2021-03-08AF45810ND
2021-05-13AF53927ND
2021-08-05AF65131ND
2021-10-27Q2130372001ND
2022-01-24AF81433ND
2022-05-02AF95175ND
2022-09-12AG12518ND
2022-12-13AG21701ND
2023-03-14AG33056ND
2023-03-14AG33057ND
2023-06-08AG43836ND
2023-09-12AG55860ND
2023-12-01AG65333ND