Atrazine | Syngenta US Atrazine

Why do IARC and regulators differ on the classification of atrazine?

IARC and regulatory authorities employ fundamentally different methodological approaches when evaluating the potential carcinogenicity of substances. IARC reviews published scientific studies to determine if there is sufficient evidence that a substance might cause cancer in humans at any concentration.

Is atrazine making our drinking water unsafe?

No. In ensuring the safety of our drinking water, regulatory authorities implement strict limits that incorporate significant safety buffers. In the case of the US, for example, the regulatory authority EPA has set the limit for atrazine at 1/1000th of the level where adverse human health effects are no longer detected - at 3 parts per billion (ppb). This is equivalent to three drops in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Is atrazine an endocrine disruptor?

No. The EPA states: “no evidence was found that leads the Agency to conclude that there is a causal association between exposure to atrazine and neuroendocrine toxicity, including increased sensitivity to infants and children”5, following a comprehensive review of published epidemiology studies examining the potential for reproductive effects or birth defects in the human population.

Is atrazine banned all over the world?

No. Atrazine is currently registered for use in some 50 countries, including nations that lead the world in producing corn, sorghum, sugarcane and other major crops. In addition to the U.S., countries that approve the use of atrazine include Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, Canada, Australia and many others. Atrazine is no longer registered in the European Union.

What is atrazine’s impact on soil health?

Pesticides, particularly herbicides such as atrazine, have enabled the era of no-till farming, decreasing cropland under tillage by nearly 30%. Reversion to tillage not only releases greenhouse gases but also undermines significant efforts to mitigate soil erosion and eutrophication resulting from nutrient runoff (Brain et al., 2023).