In a recent report, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that the commonly-used herbicide atrazine has pervasively contaminated watersheds and surface water in the Midwestern and Southern US, and that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not using the best available science to detect the problem. Atrazine, used as a weed killer on corn, sorghum, sugarcane, and lawns, is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under SDWA, EPA has determined that no more than 3 parts per pillion (ppb), as a yearly average, of atrazine may be present in drinking water.
The NRDC Report, “Poisoning the Well: How the EPA is Ignoring Atrazine Contamination in Surface and Drinking Water in the Central United States,” analyzed EPA monitoring data for surface and drinking water and found that all 40 watersheds tested had detectable atrazine levels, with more than half of those watersheds having average concentrations above 1 ppb, the amount at which aquatic vegetation is affected. The Report also found that both watersheds and drinking water systems had one-time peak atrazine concentrations well above 3 ppb; the highest peak concentration in a drinking water system was almost 40 ppb. Residents of many of the communities with atrazine spikes were unaware of the problem – testing is typically conducted by the chemical’s manufacturer, who reports the data directly to the EPA. Unless the concentration is above the 3 ppb yearly average, residents are generally not warned.
The Report argues that because EPA focuses on 90-day averages of atrazine concentrations, the agency has ignored the potentially significant adverse effects associated with brief exposures to the chemical. Other recent studies suggest that when adults and fetuses are exposed to atrazine, even in small doses, they may suffer serious health effects, including birth defects, low birth weight, premature births, and disruptions to a woman’s menstrual cycle. NRDC concluded that: (1) the US should phase out the use of atrazine, which is banned in the European Union; (2) farmers should immediately reduce their use of atrazine and implement nonchemical weed control methods; (3) EPA should broaden its monitoring program to include all vulnerable watersheds and sample after storm events and after fields have been chemically treated; (4) EPA should publish its monitoring results; and (5) consumers should use home filtration devices.
Steve Owens, Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, released a statement to assure the public that “EPA is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all Americans. . . . [T]he Obama EPA will take a hard look at atrazine and other substances. This thorough review will rely on transparency and sound science, including independent scientific peer review. We will continue to closely track new scientific developments and will determine whether a change in our regulatory position is appropriate.” Syngenta, the manufacturer of most of the atrazine sold in the US, stated that atrazine is safe and residues of atrazine in water “do not pose a health risk for consumers and . . . are within the limits defined by authorities.”
- Access a copy of the NRDC Report here
