Subject: PANUPS: Study Revaels Water Contam.

From: [email-masked] (PANNA InfoPubs)
Date: 12 Nov 1994 02:58:25 -0000

>From: PANNA InfoPubs <paninfopubs>

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Study Reveals Widespread Herbicide-Contamination of U.S. 
Drinking Water

November 11, 1994

A new report released by the Environmental Working Group 
(EWG) and Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) states 
that more than 14 million people in the U.S. routinely drink 
water that is contaminated with carcinogenic herbicides. The 
report, entitled "Tap Water Blues," investigates the Midwest, 
Louisiana, and the Chesapeake Bay regions for contamination 
by five of the most commonly used herbicides in the United 
States.* The study finds contamination, often by two or more 
of the herbicides, in the drinking water of all three 
regions.  In addition, at least 90% of all U.S. municipal 
water treatment facilities lack the equipment to remove these 
chemicals.

The weed killers found at the highest levels in drinking 
water are known as the triazine herbicides.  Laboratory 
studies have linked the hericides with health problems 
including developmental abnormalities, birth defects, genetic 
mutations, breast cancer and cancers of other reproductive 
organs.

In response, the Environmental Working Group and Physicians 
for Social Responsibility demand that the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) phase out three of the most dangerous herbicides -- 
atrazine, cyanizine and simazine -- within two years. 
Further, they urge that water utilities begin weekly 
monitoring of drinking water for all five herbicides during 
growing-season months (May-August), when farm chemical use 
peaks in these regions. Dr. David Rall of PSR explains that 
"pregnant women and families with infants and young children 
would be prudent to drink bottled water during peak months 
until the government takes action to protect them."

Herbicide pollution is particularly extensive in the Midwest, 
where corn and soybean growers apply about 150 million pounds 
of the five herbicides annually. According to Richard Wiles 
of the Environmental Working Group, "the drinking water in 
nearly every midwestern city south of Chicago is contaminated 
with agricultural weed killers."

The report analyzes results of tests on 20,000 samples taken 
>from  treated tap water and from rivers and reservoirs that 
are drinking water sources. The EWG and PSR argue that 
although the EPA has standards for allowable concentrations 
of herbicides in drinking water, they are inadequate for 
protecting the public from the herbicides examined in the 
joint report. In fact, there is no enforceable standard at 
all for cyanazine, the most toxic of the five pesticides. 

According to the authors, the standards that do exist:
-- do not protect infants and young children, who drink more 
water per pound than adults and are more vulnerable because 
they are still growing.
-- do not consider the lifetime effects of drinking several 
chemicals combined in one water source; rather, they focus on 
only one chemical at a time.
-- do not account for the break-down products of the 
herbicides, potentially hazardous chemicals that often 
increase through conventional water treatment.
-- ignore seasonal fluctuations in contamination, such as 
during summer months when agricultural runoff is at a peak.

The Dr. David Rall of PSR notes the gravity of this situation 
in light of our ignorance of the connections between toxic 
chemicals and public health: "While scientists have long 
studied links between exposure to toxins and cancer, they 
have only recently begun to pay attention to endocrine, 
immune system, reproductive or developmental effects of 
toxins, especially on children."

* Herbicides studied in "Tap Water Blues" are alachlor, 
metolachlor, atrazine, cyanizine and simazine.

Sources: "Tap Water Blues: Herbicides in Drinking Water" by 
R. Wiles, B. Cohen, C. Campbell, S. Elderkin; EWG/PSR Press 
Release, Oct. 18, 1994; Statement of Richard Wiles, 
Environmental Working Group, Oct. 18, 1994; Statement of Dr. 
David Rall, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Oct. 18, 
1994.

Contact: Environmental Working Group, 1718 Connecticut 
Avenue, NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 667-
6982; fax (202) 232 2592; email [email-masked]. org.  Physicians 
for Social Responsibility, 1000 16th Street NW, Suite 810, 
Washington DC 20036; phone (202) 898-0150; fax (202) 898-
0172.

Copies of the report are available from the Environmental 
Working Group for US$40 plus US$3 shipping.

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