EPA REVISITS ATRAZINE

Abstract

ATRAZINE IS ONE of the most commonly used herbicides in the U.S. and has been on the market for 50 years. The Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the safety of the weed-killing chemical in 2006 and declared it to be safe for use on corn and other crops when used as directed. But last fall the agency decided to reevaluate the potential health effects of atrazine because of recent studies that suggest an association between exposure to the pesticide and birth defects, premature births, and low birth weight in humans. Over the course of this year, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) will attempt to integrate everything there is to know about the safety of atrazine, including animal toxicity data and, for the first time, human epidemiology data, looking at both cancer and noncancer effects. The agency will then decide whether new restrictions on atrazine are necessary. To get feedback and provide transparency to the review ...