Nearly 30 million Americans in 28 states “have some level of atrazine in their tap water,” says the Environmental Working Group in a report on the second-most widely used weedkiller in the country. EPA data shows that atrazine levels in some areas may spike during late spring and early summer to three to seven times the limit of 3 parts per billion, but that “those exceedances are not reported to people in the affected communities,” says EWG.
Federal safe-water laws allow utilities to report the average annual results of the tests they conduct, which dilutes the impact of spikes. “Some utilities do not even test for atrazine during periods of spikes,” said the report. EWG said that while utilities must report the results of atrazine tests to state agencies, they’re not required to test their water when a spike may be occurring. Studies say atrazine can cause lower birth weights and affect nerve and hormone systems.
“The long-term solution to contamination of drinking water by atrazine and other pesticides can only come from agricultural best practices for minimizing agricultural chemical runoff,” said EWG. “Measures such as establishing and maintaining buffer zones of grasses along rivers and streams can be highly effective at preventing farm pollution from entering sources of drinking water.” Congress should fully fund programs that reduce pesticide runoff and that give priority to safe drinking water, said the group.