Atrazine

Health concerns
In laboratory studies, even low doses, atrazine impaired the reproductive systems of amphibians and mammals. It has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals and human cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as well as to low sperm counts in farm workers. Male frogs exposed to minute doses of atrazine develop female sex characteristics, including hermaphroditism and the presence of eggs in the testes. Atrazine is also suspected of acting in combination with other pesticides to increase their toxic effects.

Atrazine has been banned in the European Union but is still widely used in the United States.

Where it is found
Atrazine contaminates surface and drinking waters throughout the United States; it is the most commonly detected pesticide in U.S. waters. A 2009 NRDC report determined that the 10 watersheds with the highest levels of atrazine contamination were in Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska.

Stay safe
Contact your health department for information about atrazine levels in your water. If it does have high levels of atrazine, you can filter it out using activated charcoal, which removes certain chemicals, heavy metals and some bacteria. Always be sure to select filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation. NRDC's water filter recommendations can be found at Select the Right Filter.

If you household relies on well water, have it tested annually.

The big picture
Tap water should be safe for everyone to drink. The EPA sets a limit on atrazine in drinking water, but it’s measured as a yearly average and doesn’t account for big spikes that are typical of the pollution that runs off of industrial farms after a heavy rain. It is those spikes that cause the most damage.

NRDC has petitioned the EPA to ban atrazine and is pushing for more effective methods of atrazine monitoring that will help keep our drinking water safe. We are also working with farmers to adopt techniques that will minimize the use of atrazine and other hazardous pesticides to reduce contamination of our waterways.