Atrazine, an herbicide commonly used on row crops, is another one of those contaminants that is dangerous at the lowest of levels. The United States Department of Agriculture has found atrazine present in 94% of drinking water supplies.
Atrazine is applied to farm fields in the spring for the purpose of controlling grasses and weeds. Atrazine makes its way into private wells and public water systems after a rain. Levels will therefore be highest in the spring and then taper off. Levels will be highest in the Midwest where atrazine is commonly used on corn fields.
The USEPA maximum contaminant level (mcl) is 3 parts per billion (ppb). In 2011 the World Health Organization raised its standard from 3 ppb to 100 ppb after determining that some of atrazine’s alleged negative health effects were not true.
A frog that is born in water containing only 1 ppb of atrazine will develop both male and female sex organs. So why expose your children to this hazard?
I suggest that you avoid atrazine altogether. A whole house water filter that uses granular activated carbon can be used to avoid showering in atrazine or drinking it.
