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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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2,4-D

City of Nogales

2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a herbicide that can be applied directly to GMO corn and soy plants engineered to withstand this toxic chemical. Americans' exposures to 2,4-D from food and drinking water will likely increase in years to come as farmers plant more of these GMO crops. Read More.

2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with thyroid hormones. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 2,4-D as possibly carcinogenic to humans. In occupational studies, farmers exposed to 2,4-D tended to have higher incidences of damaged and malformed sperm. Laboratory animals exposed to 2,4-D during gestation are born underdeveloped and are more likely to have birth defects.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND20ND
2015ND100ND
2016ND10ND
2017ND20ND
2018ND70ND
2019ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 20 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 20 ppb for 2,4-D was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 70 ppb

The legal limit for 2,4-D, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit may not fully protect against harm to the nervous system, harm to the thyroid, and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-03-272998974ND
2014-09-303114791ND
2015-06-243269843ND
2015-06-243269829ND
2015-06-243269822ND
2015-06-243269815ND
2015-06-24326936ND
2015-12-083371695ND
2015-12-083371689ND
2015-12-083371680ND
2015-12-083371657ND
2015-12-083371642ND
2016-09-293555619ND
2017-03-153655652ND
2017-08-153761090ND
2018-03-053886306ND
2018-04-263921892ND
2018-04-263921884ND
2018-05-083933073ND
2018-05-083933044ND
2018-05-163939487ND
2018-08-144024606ND
2019-03-191903-106-01ND
2019-03-191903-108-01ND
2019-03-191903-107-01ND