ATRAZINE - EFFECTS

ON HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENT
By Maereg Mimo Haile
Learning Objective
1. Understand what Atrazine is and the use
in the US
2. The biological and health effects of the
herbicide in humans, fish and aquatic
reptiles
3. Alternate use of atrazine in EU and how
US can emulate this process
What is Atrazine?
Atrazine is
A 6-carbon S-chlorotriazine
that was synthesized in
Switzerland by Geigy
laboratories in the 1950s.
(6-chloro-N-ethyl-N-
isopropyl-1 ,3,5-triazine-2,4-
diamine)
It was registered in 1958 for
grassy and broad leaf weed
control in corn, sugarcane,
sorghum and certain crops
It is not very volatile,
reactive or flammable but
dissolves readily in water.

AAtrex 4L
AAtrex Nine-O
Acetochlor+Atrazine
Axiom AT
BanvelK+Atrazine
Basis Gold
Bicep II MAGNUM
Bicep LiteII MAGNUM
Bromox+Atrazine
BroxAt
Buctril+Atrazine
Bullet
Charger Max ATZ
Cinch ATZ
Cinch ATZ Lite







Degree Xtra
Dicambazine
Fieldmaster
Fultime
G-Max Lite
Guardsman
Harness Xtra 5.6L
HarnessXtra
Keystone
Keystone LA
Laddock S-12
Lariat
Lexar
LibertyATZ
Lumax





Marksman
Moxy+Atrazine
Prompt 5L
ReadyMaster ATZ
Shotgun
Simazat
Steadfast ATZ
Stratos Dicamba+Atrazine
Trizmet II
Volley ATZ
Volley ATZ Lite
Stalwart XTra
Application and regulations
Atrazine is a selective herbicide used
primarily in the agriculture industry

It is a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP)
In order for a farmer to use atrazine,
he or she must go through a yearly
certification process to be licensed by
the state

Application continued
To be activated atrazine must be dissolved in water
and enter the target plants root system, so it is
usually applied in the spring and summer
Rain in the spring makes it mobile and wash it into
another median, such as public water and wells.
It has been known to persist in soil and water long
after application has ended
Bio-degradation is theoretically possible but
studies have found that atrazine is still persistent in
the environment.


Amounts
released into
the
environment

85% of the 60-80
million pounds of
atrazine used annually
in the US is for corn
production

Usage have been
increasing steadily since
the 1960s to the current
level of 70,000-90,000
tons per year.
EPA and Syngenta
EPA sets the limit 3 parts per billion
in drinking water
According to UC Berkeley study,
Atrazine can be found:
21 ppb in ground water
102 ppb in river basins in
agricultural areas
224 ppb in some streams
Up to 2,300 ppb in tailwater pits in
Midwestern agricultural areas
(Hayes, 2010).

Map of Atrazine application by
agriculture in the U.S.
EU vs. US
EPA approved continues
usage of atrazine in 2003,
when in the same year
European Union
announced a ban of this
herbicide.
The hebicide cant even
be used in Switzerland,
Syngentas home
country.
Reproductive Health Effects
Waller et. al. study conducted on
chemical exposures and risk of
gastroschisis in Washington State (2010).
805 cases and 3616 control subjects
were identified.
Gastroschisis occurred more frequently
among those who resided <25 km from
a site of high atrazine concentration
They were able to conclude that
maternal exposure to surface water
atrazine is associated with fetal
gastrochisis, particularly in spring
conceptions.
Risk of Cancer
Findings:
Mills et. al did a study in
58 California Counties in
the incidence rates of
each several cancer types
(1998).
Found a correlation
between atrazine use and
some cancers in certain
ethnic groups that
traditionally employed as
farm workers

- Hispanic males were
found to have
leukemia, testicular
cancer, and brain
cancer
- Black males were
found to have
prostate cancer.

Breast Cancer
Effects of Atrazine on Fish,
Amphibians, and Aquatic Reptiles
Hayes et al. conducted a research and found
the evidence between atrazine as an
endocrine disruptor on African frogs
(Xenopus laevis) (2010).
Two Experiment:
1. Expose developing tadpoles to different
levels of atrazine (0.01 ppb to 25 ppb) and
examine morphological effects
2. Expose adults directly to 25 ppb atrazine
and measure testosterone and estrogen
levels

What did they find?
Experiment 1 Tadpoles that were exposed to
as little as 0.1 ppb atrazine matured with
hermaphroditic deformities. Between 16% and
20% of tadpoles treated had too many gonads
and/or mixtures of ovaries and testes (Hayes
et. al, 2010).
Experiment 2 - Adult males exposed to 25
ppb atrazine showed a 10-fold decrease in
testosterone compared to controls (Hayes et.
al, 2010).
EU: Life After Atrazine
EU did a 12-year review of atrazine, in 2003 the
scientific committee concluded that it had the
potential to contaminate groundwater and is
hazardous to health and environment.
Several European countries moved to ban
atrazine on their own way before EU decisions.
Sweden, Finland, and Denmark had all banned
atrazine by 1994, but non of these countries are
significant corn producers.

EU: Life After Atrazine
If banning is critical for economy and
crop yield? Germany and
Italy, both
banned atrazine
in 1991!


Both Germany and Italy
didnt have negative effect
on corn production and
profitability.



Suggestions
University of Nebraska study of 1996 suggests:
Integrated pest management (IPM) to scout for
weeds
Use less than the label recommends
Applying atrazine after corn has emerged, rather
than before, can reduce runoff by as much as half.
Rotate crops, Rotating corn with soybeans, for
example, can reduce use by at least half. Adding a
third crop such as oats or other small grain can reduce
reliance on the herbicide even more.

Conclusions
Banning atrazine would decrease health
and environmental risks.
Corn and Sorghum crop yields wont be
reduced.
A better plan might be to find alternative
methods of crop management in order to
get the best yields with the smallest
amount of herbicides.
THANK YOU
Reference
Beth J., and Colangelo, A. (2006). European union bans atrazine, while the united states

negotiates continued use. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and

Environmental Health: 12:260-267

Waller, S. A. , Paul K., et al. (2010). Agricultural-related chemical exposures, season of

conception, and risk of gastroschisis in Washington State. American Journal of

Obstetrics and Gynecology: 202 (3), 241e.1-241e.6.

Mills P.K., (1998). Correlation analysis of pesticide use data and cancer incidence rates in

california counties. Archive Environmental Health:53(6), 410-413.

Hayes T. B., Browna T. P., Adamea L., et al. (2010). Atrazine induces complete

feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus

laevis). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: 107(10), 4612-4617.

Rohr J.R., and McCoy K.A. (2010). A qualitative meta-analysis reveals consistent effects

of atrazine on freshwater fish and amphibians. Environmental Health

Perspectives: 118(11), 20-32.

Johnson B., Fishel F., and Kendig A. (1996). Atrazine: best management practices and

alternatives in missouri. ( Agriculture Report G4851). Retrieved from University

of Missouri Extension website:

http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/crops/g04851.pdf