Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Atrazine

Jackson Water Supply Corporation

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
2018ND40ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND40ND
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
2018-12-05Q1849735009ND
2018-12-05Q1849735016ND
2018-12-05Q1849735017ND
2018-12-05Q1849735008ND
2019-06-04Q1931259001ND
2019-06-04Q1931259002ND
2019-06-04Q1931259003ND
2020-08-19Q2033205010ND
2020-08-19Q2033205011ND
2020-08-19Q2033205012ND
2021-01-20Q2101457001ND
2021-01-20Q2101457003ND
2021-01-20Q2101457002ND
2021-10-21Q2129820001ND
2022-07-25Q2220978001ND
2022-07-25Q2220978002ND
2022-07-25Q2220978005ND
2023-10-11Q2343424014ND
2023-10-11Q2343424015ND
2023-10-11Q2343424016ND