Atrazine

Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. It is a carcinogen, a ground water contaminant, and a suspected endocrine disruptor. Pesticide Action Network classifies it as a Bad Actor. Atrazine is classified as a chlorotriazine herbicide.

Pollution of Waterways
According to a 1999 U.S. Geological Survey, atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazin (DEA) were among the top herbicides found in streams and shallow groundwater in both agricultural and urban areas.


 * "Atrazine was found in about two-thirds of all samples from agricultural streams, often occurring year-round. Similar to streams, the most common compounds found in shallow ground water were atrazine and DEA, but only about one-third of the samples had detectable levels. The lower rates of atrazine and DEA detection in ground water compared to streams result from longer travel times, greater opportunity for sorption or breakdown, and greater variability of source water in wells."

Syngenta's Defense and Promotion of Atrazine
The manufacturer of atrazine, Syngenta, teamed up with the agricultural radio show AgriTalk to promote atrazine in an atrazine research webcast in 2011. They boasted that "Atrazine benefits U.S. consumers by up to $4.8 billion annually" and spoke of "the importance of atrazine in the integrated management of herbicide-resistance weeds."

Pesticide Maker Syngenta's Promotion of Atrazine

 * Atrazine benefits U.S. consumers by up to $4.8 billion annually
 * A biological analysis of the use and benefits of chloro-s-triazine herbicides in U.S. corn and sorghum production
 * Economic assessment of the benefits of chloro-s-triazine herbicides to U.S. corn, sorghum and sugarcane producers
 * Estimating soil erosion and fuel use changes their monetary values with AGSIM: a case study for traizine herbicides
 * The importance of atrazine in the integrated management of herbicide-resistance weeds
 * Efficacy if best management practices for reducing runoff of chloro-s-triazine herbicides to surface water: a review
 * National Corn Growers Association's yield contests of 2006-2009: summary of atrazine versus non-atrazine use

Products Containing Atrazine

 * Acetochlor Plus
 * Atrazine
 * Altra-5
 * Axiom AT DF
 * Ballistic
 * Banvel K +Atrazine
 * Basis GoldTM
 * Bicep II MAGNUM®
 * Bicep Lite II MAGNUM®
 * Brawl II ATZTM
 * BreakfreeTM ATZ
 * BreakfreeTM ATZ Lite
 * Bromox + Atrazine
 * Bromoxynil + Atrazine
 * BROX®-AT
 * Brozine®
 * BUCTRIL® + Atrazine
 * Bullet®
 * Cadence® ATZ
 * Cadence® Lite ATZ
 * Charger MaxTM ATZ
 * Charger MaxTM ATZ Lite
 * Confidence Xtra
 * Confidence Xtra 5.6L
 * Dicamba + Atrazine
 * Dicambazine
 * Dicambazine®
 * Establish ATZTM
 * Establish LiteTM
 * Expert®
 * Field Master®
 * FulTime®
 * G-Max LiteTM
 * Guardsman Max®
 * Harness® Xtra
 * Harness® Xtra 5.6L
 * Infantry 4L
 * Infantry 90DF
 * Keystone®
 * Keystone® LA
 * LaddokTM S-12
 * Lariat®
 * LeadOff®
 * Lexar®
 * Liberty ATZ
 * Medall II AT
 * Metolachlor AT
 * OverTime ATZ
 * OverTime ATZ Lite
 * ParallelTM Plus
 * PropelTM ATZ
 * PropelTM ATZ Lite
 * Rifle PlusTM
 * Shotgun®
 * SimazatTM 4L
 * SimazatTM 90DF
 * Sortie ATZ
 * Sortie ATZ lite
 * Stalwart® Xtra
 * Steadfast®ATZ
 * Sterling Plus®
 * Tremor AT
 * Tremor AT Lite
 * TriangleTM
 * TrizmetTM II

External Resources

 * Atrazine, Pesticide Information Database, Pesticide Action Network.