Atrazine Research Paper

Better Safe Than Sorry
What is Atrazine? It is a synthetic compound used as an agricultural herbicide created by the company Syngenta. This specific agricultural herbicide is causing uproar across the entire world. There are people saying it has negative environmental impacts, others say it does no harm to our planet and we have nothing to worry about. I believe it does have a negative impact on our environment and I have all the evidence to backup my claim. We should ban Atrazine because it contaminates water supplies, has been linked with possible carcinogenic effects, and endocrine disruption in amphibians and humans, and finally, it has harmful reproductive effects. This is why Atrazine needs to be banned sooner than later, for our planet’s
well-being. A concern with Atrazine is with such widespread use comes the inevitable contamination of countless water supplies through runoff of the herbicide. First, Atrazine is sometimes detected in groundwater. For example, in an online article it states, “In most instances, the source of atrazine in well water may be caused by leaching near the wellhead due to atrazine loading, cleanup activities or back siphoning accidents during sprayer loading . Atrazine is not recommended for use in areas where mixing of surface and groundwater could lead to atrazine contamination of shallow aquifers. This would include areas with shallow water tables and coarse-textured soils. The atrazine label also prohibits mixing, loading or application within 50 feet of a well” (Oram). So it is contaminating a good percentage of private wells that are in the area the Atrazine is being applied to. Second, Atrazine was the most common pesticide contaminating drinking water in the United States in 2001 and is found in 94% of drinking water tested by the USDA. For example, in an article it states, “The highest levels of contamination are in the Midwest where it is widely used on corn fields. USGS monitoring shows drinking water concentrations typically spike during the spring and early summer as rains flush the freshly applied herbicide into streams — and into local water supplies” (PAN). Finally, even if water is treated at a water plant, it is still contaminated with Atrazine, even if it is considered “purified”. For example, in an article it is stated, “According to NRDC's 2010 analysis of the most recent EPA data, drinking water in 67 public systems had peak atrazine levels above 3 parts per billion (ppb), with one as high as 60 ppb in Ohio. Six water systems had average annual atrazine concentrations that exceeded the EPA limit entirely. And these figures are for treated drinking water — raw water samples contained even higher concentrations. (See also NRDC's 2009 Poisoning the Well)” (PAN). This is how Atrazine is polluting our water supply and it needs to be ended to ensure the water we need to survive is purified and safe to drink. Also, more negative impacts of Atrazine is it has been linked with possible carcinogenic effects, and endocrine disruption in amphibians and humans.
First, is has been linked to endocrine disruption, which basically means it is turning males into females. For example, in an article it states, “The science on Atrazine effects on the hormone system continues to grow. It alters the levels of key hormones in rats and can delay puberty. In male frogs, exposure to atrazine causes a kind of "chemical castration," causing them to develop female sex characteristics. Researchers hypothesize that atrazine signals the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, demasculinizing the frogs” (PAN). Also, another study showed, “Of the most cited and concerning studies on the effects of atrazine was the one conducted by Dr. Tyrone Hayes, a scientist from UC Berkeley in 2002. Dr. Hayes and his colleagues found evidence that exposure to atrazine resulted in demasculinization and hermaphroditism of male frogs even at very low concentrations (30 times lower than EPA recommended levels in drinking water). In fact, at all doses above .01 parts per billion all ‘specimens’ experienced gonadal abnormalities that were never observed in control animals. These abnormalities included reduced larynges and plasma testosterone in males and excess estrogen in females. After much replication, Hayes’ laboratory concluded that atrazine consistently inhibited testosterone production and generated estrogen secretion” (Valentine, 2013). Secondly, it has been linked with possible carcinogenic effects. This means it has been linked to causing cancer in organisms, maybe not immediately, but overtime exposure will increase your chances of obtaining cancer. For example, the carcinogenic effects of Atrazine is growing according to one article, “Evidence for the carcinogenic potential of atrazine is growing — exposure has been linked to elevated risk of breast and prostate cancer. The recent President's Cancer
Panel Report notes that atrazine has possible carcinogenic properties. In response to concerns, U.S. EPA is currently re-evaluating Atrazine's carcinogenic potential” (PAN). Meaning Atrazine is being further studied and new evidence comes out often. Finally, Atrazine causes harmful effects to the reproductive process. When we get older and we have children, we all hope for the healthiest baby possible. Your chances of that happening decrease if you are consuming Atrazine in any way. First, Atrazine has been associated with low birth weights, in other words, small babies are being born. For example, in this article it states, “Researchers in France report that women exposed to detectable levels of the herbicide atrazine during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to smaller babies. Prior human and animal studies report similar results. This study is important because it focused on pregnant women. It also takes another step in determining whether atrazine exposure during pregnancy affects infant development. To do this, the researchers addressed the criticisms of prior studies and considered other chemical exposures that might contribute to the effects seen in the infants at birth.” According to this article, their research has evidence of Atrazine affecting the size of your baby. Secondly, the time of conception of Atrazine plays a key role in the birth defects your baby will have. For example, in a Panna article in states, “The timing of exposure to atrazine may also play a significant role in adverse effects. Women exposed to atrazine during the preconception window show an increased risk of early spontaneous miscarriage. Infants conceived during the seasonal peak of atrazine application are more likely to be born with birth defects” (PAN, 1984). Lastly, Atrazine can cause birth defects to where part of the intestine is protruding from the abdomen. For example, in an article it states,”show an increased chance of having a baby with gastroschisis, a birth defect in which part of the intestine protrudes from the abdomen” (PAN, 1984). This shows all the potential harmful effects Atrazine has on pregnancy, and this is why it should be banned. Atrazine affects us almost everyday and we almost always get some form of it within our bodies because it is such a commonly used herbicide globally. If we do not ban Atrazine immediately, I know we will feel the effects of it in the future. Atrazine needs to be banned because it contaminates water supplies, has been linked with possible carcinogenic effects, and endocrine disruption in amphibians and humans, and finally, it has harmful reproductive effects. This is a major issue in our society and we can not stay at the stand still we are. Something needs to be done, now! Our planet will thank us later for it.