Hormone-disrupting herbicide contaminating 25% of continental US rivers, report finds
Atrazine, banned in 60 countries, polluting rivers at levels that can harm wildlife and may threaten human health
TL;DR
- Nearly 25% of continental US rivers are contaminated with the herbicide atrazine.
- Atrazine contaminates over 20% of surface drinking water intakes and over 675,000 wells.
- The herbicide is a hormone disruptor that can harm human and animal health, especially developing children.
- Atrazine has been found to "chemically castrate" frogs and cause sex changes.
- It is classified as a probable carcinogen and linked to various reproductive issues and birth defects.
- Atrazine is banned in 60 countries, including the European Union, since 2003.
- Despite litigation, it is the second most widely used pesticide in the US, with 70 million pounds sprayed annually.
- A report by the Center For Biological Diversity analyzed EPA records to identify the extent of the threat.
- Hot spots for contamination include the Chesapeake Bay region, the midwest corn belt, Florida's Lake Okeechobee, the lower Mississippi River, and the Texas Gulf coast.
- The EPA has been criticized for failing to act on atrazine pollution due to industry influence.
- A proposed EPA plan to address water pollution has been deemed inadequate.