Right after Monsanto’s deadly ‘Roundup,’ Syngenta’s dangerous ‘Atrazine’ is America’s #2 herbicide.
If you need background on sick Syngenta, find it here in this MUST READ 2014 expose’ in ‘The New Yorker’ about Syngenta’s unforgiveable abuse of Atrazine-researcher, courageous Dr. Tyrone Hayes (https://www.newyorker.com/…/2014/02/10/a-valuable-reputation).
Fraudulent water testing like this is nothing short of outrageous. Deadly toxins are deadly toxins.
It’s good to remember, in this era of unrestrained self-serving Industrial Ag corporations and dishonest public water utilities, that for MANY decades honest Organic Family Farmers have been growing organic corn – and EVERY other crop – without using a single drop of Atrazine or Roundup or Chlorpyrifos. Crops that have been grown organically mean NONE of those toxins will be in the environment or in your family’s water or diet.
Organic farmers have the know-how of successfully growing healthy crops without needing persistent synthetic chemical inputs. All we really need to transition American ag over to organic farming is the political will and the visionary leadership to get us there. Jim
“Seasonal spikes of atrazine – a weed killer that can disrupt hormones and harm developing fetuses – contaminate drinking water in corn-growing areas of the Midwest and beyond, according to an analysis of federal records by the Environmental Working Group.
“Environmental Protection Agency data show that in some Corn Belt communities, atrazine levels can spike three to seven times above the legal limit in late spring and early summer. But by avoiding water testing during peak periods, some water utilities stay in compliance with drinking water regulations – and don’t have to tell customers they were exposed to a hazardous chemical in their tap water.
“’Our investigation found that nearly 30 million Americans have atrazine in their tap water’…
“EWG’s investigation is the most comprehensive analysis to date of national data on the pervasive contamination of drinking water by this chemical. EWG found that last year, utilities in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio had atrazine spikes much higher than the federal legal limit of three parts per billion, or ppb. The two highest spikes were reported in Evansville, Ill., at 22 ppb, and Piqua, Ohio, at 16 ppb…
“Atrazine is the second-most heavily used herbicide in the U.S., with more than 70 million pounds sprayed in 2016. It is used mostly to control weeds in cornfields, but it is also applied to sorghum, sugarcane and other crops.
“Studies show that atrazine and similar chemicals harm the reproductive system and disrupt the nerve and hormone systems, affecting the brain, behavior and hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and dopamine. Even short-term exposure to elevated levels of atrazine can pose health risks to expectant mothers and their babies, including an increase in the risk of preterm delivery and lower birth weight…
“The European Union banned atrazine in 2003 because of its potential to contaminate drinking water sources. In 2016, California state scientists listed atrazine, simazine and related chemicals as substances ‘known to cause reproductive toxicity.’ According to EWG’s Tap Water Database, which aggregates testing data from utilities nationwide, in 2015, atrazine was found in water systems serving nearly 30 million Americans in 27 states.”
https://www.ewg.org/release/hormone-disrupting-weed-killer-taints-tap-water-millions-corn-belt?fbclid=IwAR1aKVogq-KXgUHwstmbETV2_IUCEm6E_c3DUCzzTXkdaZHUlcA1vKl2DGU
