UPDATE (September 3, 2009 at 2:30 PM): The Center for Biological Diversity has released a press release detailing the harmful effects of Atrazine. In keeping with the NRDC report, The CBD submits evidence that :
“Atrazine is a potent chemical that is the most common contaminant of ground-, surface, and drinking water nationwide. Recent research published in peer-reviewed journals suggests that small amounts of atrazine in drinking water can be harmful at much lower concentrations than federal standards, and link the pesticide to birth defects, low birth weights, premature births, and menstrual problems. Previous research has provided evidence linking atrazine to prostate cancer and decreased sperm count in men, and higher risk of breast cancer in women.”
You can read their Press Release here.
The Natural Resources Defense Council release a report today which finds evidence of the pesticide Atrazine to be in drinking water throughout the country. According to an article posted on the Environmental News Network:
“The report reveals that all of the watersheds monitored by EPA and 90% of the drinking water sampled tested positive for atrazine. Contamination was most severe in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, and Nebraska.
An extensive U.S. Geological Survey study found that approximately 75 percent of stream water and about 40 percent of all groundwater samples from agricultural areas contained atrazine, and according to the New York Times, an estimated 33 million Americans have been exposed to atrazine through their drinking water systems.”
While the health effects of this contamination are not fully understood, it certainly highlights the growing necessity for some type of regulation of agricultural runoff from non-point sources. Until we can get a handle on this type of pollution, we will never realize the dream of clean and healthy waters.
Alabama Rivers Alliance 