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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Atrazine

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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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

160

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

2

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20140.0102 ppb242ND - 0.128 ppb
2015ND250ND
2016ND320ND
2017ND230ND
2018ND240ND
2019ND320ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-03-04S1407718ND
2014-03-04S1407730ND
2014-03-04S1407728ND
2014-03-04S1407733ND
2014-06-09S1420772ND
2014-06-10S1421072ND
2014-06-10S1421075ND
2014-06-12S1421492ND
2014-06-17S1422335ND
2014-06-17S1422328ND
2014-06-26S1423784ND
2014-07-08S1425430ND
2014-07-16S1427067ND
2014-07-16S1427064ND
2014-07-17S1427225ND
2014-07-29S1428876ND
2014-07-30S1429110ND
2014-08-05S1429863ND
2014-08-05S1429862ND
2014-08-11S1430897ND
2014-08-11S1430896ND
2014-08-19S1432278ND
2014-10-22S14420930.128 ppb
2014-10-28S14429400.116 ppb
2015-03-09S1508862ND
2015-03-09S1508861ND
2015-05-27S1520480ND
2015-05-28S1520653ND
2015-05-28S1520648ND
2015-06-04S1521779ND
2015-06-04S1521773ND
2015-06-04S1521772ND
2015-06-04S1521771ND
2015-06-15S1523190ND
2015-06-15S1523192ND
2015-06-16S1523455ND
2015-06-24S1525300ND
2015-07-14S1528329ND
2015-07-14S1528328ND
2015-07-14S1528330ND
2015-07-14S1528327ND
2015-07-15S1528680ND
2015-07-22S1529750ND
2015-07-22S1529749ND
2015-07-22S1529747ND
2015-07-23S1530002ND
2015-07-23S1530008ND
2015-07-24S1530230ND
2015-11-17S1549694ND
2016-03-30S1612755ND
2016-06-23S1627649ND
2016-06-24S1627840ND
2016-06-24S1627839ND
2016-06-24S1627831ND
2016-06-24S1627838ND
2016-06-27S1628127ND
2016-06-27S1628118ND
2016-06-27S1628113ND
2016-06-27S1628111ND
2016-06-28S1628434ND
2016-06-29S1628657ND
2016-06-29S1628653ND
2016-06-30S1628758ND
2016-06-30S1628755ND
2016-06-30S1628757ND
2016-07-06S1629588ND
2016-07-06S1629581ND
2016-07-06S1629585ND
2016-07-06S1629586ND
2016-07-06S1629587ND
2016-07-07S1629728ND
2016-07-07S1629732ND
2016-07-15S1631434ND
2016-07-15S1631433ND
2016-08-03S1634935ND
2016-08-03S1634932ND
2016-08-29S1639083ND
2016-08-29S1639084ND
2016-08-29S1639085ND
2016-10-03S1645227ND
2016-10-11S1646712ND
2017-03-13S1709901ND
2017-03-14S1710135ND
2017-05-31S1722763ND
2017-05-31S1722762ND
2017-05-31S1722761ND
2017-05-31S1722756ND
2017-06-19S1726107ND
2017-06-19S1726108ND
2017-06-19S1726109ND
2017-06-19S1726110ND
2017-06-21S1726771ND
2017-07-10S1729866ND
2017-07-10S1729870ND
2017-07-11S1730137ND
2017-07-20S1732219ND
2017-07-25S1732811ND
2017-07-25S1732815ND
2017-08-03S1734567ND
2017-08-03S1734565ND
2017-08-14S1736477ND
2017-09-20S1743291ND
2017-09-26S1744547ND
2017-10-20S1749223ND
2018-02-01S1804595ND
2018-02-01S1804593ND
2018-02-05S1804986ND
2018-02-06S1805278ND
2018-02-12S1806153ND
2018-05-15S1821853ND
2018-05-15S1821851ND
2018-05-23S1823164ND
2018-05-23S1823165ND
2018-06-06S1825588ND
2018-06-12S1826496ND
2018-06-15S1827348ND
2018-06-21S1828606ND
2018-06-21S1828608ND
2018-06-26S1829341ND
2018-07-02S1830575ND
2018-07-02S1830571ND
2018-07-05S1831162ND
2018-07-10S1832033ND
2018-07-11S1832523ND
2018-07-18S1833965ND
2018-07-18S1833961ND
2018-11-08S1855566ND
2018-11-19S1857273ND
2019-01-31S1904615ND
2019-02-07S1905724ND
2019-02-19S1907386ND
2019-03-06S1909868ND
2019-03-06S1909865ND
2019-04-30S1919669ND
2019-04-30S1919667ND
2019-04-30S1919670ND
2019-05-08S1921261ND
2019-05-08S1921262ND
2019-05-08S1921263ND
2019-05-29S1925123ND
2019-06-11S1927613ND
2019-06-12S1927972ND
2019-06-20S1929654ND
2019-07-09S1933034ND
2019-07-09S1933032ND
2019-07-09S1933031ND
2019-07-10S1933341ND
2019-07-10S1933348ND
2019-07-10S1933346ND
2019-07-10S1933345ND
2019-08-28S1942932ND
2019-08-28S1942930ND
2019-09-05S1944521ND
2019-09-05S1944523ND
2019-09-05S1944525ND
2019-10-02S1949691ND
2019-10-02S1949693ND
2019-10-02S1949692ND
2019-10-15S1951895ND
2019-11-13S1957174ND