Atrazine banned in Europe still used in US in 2009 HORT 5009 S 2009 Vera Krischik Department of Entomology University of Minnesota Herbicide ban in Quebec and Ontario Canada On April 3 2006 Quebec brought in a sweeping pesticide ban pulling more than 200 products from provincial shelves In a statement of intent made public on Wednesday Dow AgroSciences argues the province suggested a review of the herbicide by Canada s regulatory agency might influence its consideration of the ban but despite its favourable finding it did not The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency concluded earlier this year that 2 4 D meets its health and safety standards if used according to the label s directions the statement notes Pesticide use on lawns has become controversial in recent years because of the potential impact on the environment and human health In June 2008 Ontario passed legislation that will ban more than 80 ingredients and 300 pesticide products once the law is fully implemented next spring The Ontario law however stopped short of banning 2 4 D or 2 4Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid Atrazine ban in Europe Since 1993 Seven EU countries in the European Union EU have banned atrazine France Sweden Denmark Finland Germany Austria and Italy These countries have a policy of banning pesticides that occur in drinking water at levels higher than 0 1 parts per billion Some of the EU countries that have not banned atrazine are the U K Ireland Belgium and Luxemburg Atrazine in drinking water has been linked to prostate and breast cancer Under the EU Water Framework Directive the European Commission EC is establishing a list of priority hazardous substances that must be eliminated from EU water according to specified schedules and requirements Atrazine is one of the chemicals slated for a determination as to whether it should included on the priority hazardous substances list Atrazine banned in EU but safe in US US scientists say their research shows that the pesticide is safe to use despite the unresolved issue of possible detrimental effects on frogs Atrazine is the most widely used pesticide in the world Some studies suggested an association between atrazine exposure and the feminisation of frogs but according to Derek Gammon of the Californian Environmental Protection Agency Department of Pesticide Regulation the evidence is uncertain and conflicting data cast doubts on the theory that atrazine is to blame Gammon s group reviewed 500 papers on atrazine published between 1964 and 2004 Pest Management Science doi 10 1002 ps 1000 It found that atrazine definitely causes an increased incidence of mammary tumours in female Sprague Dawley rats but not in male rats But according to Gammon these results are of limited relevance to humans because oestrogen levels increase in the ageing Sprague Dawley rat whereas they decrease in ageing humans Gammon s risk assessment also suggests that the feminisation of frogs may not be a direct effect of atrazine exposure but the result of a secondary effect such as reduced feeding Atrazine atrazine 2 chloro 4 ethylamine 6 isopropylamine striazine a widely used herbicide Its use is controversial due to its effects on nontarget species such as on amphibians Like many commercial products it is sold under numerous trade names Its use is banned in the European Union but is still one of the most widely used herbicides in the U S with 77 million pounds applied in 2003 Atrazine According to Extension Toxicology Network oral LD50 for atrazine is 3090 mg kg in rats 1750 mg kg in mice 750 mg kg in rabbits and 1000 mg kg in hamsters dermal LD50 is greater than 3000 mg kg in rats 7500 mg kg in rabbits 1 hour inhalation LC50 is greater than 0 7 mg L in rats 4 hour inhalation LC50 is 5 2 mg L in rats Atrazine Atrazine is used to stop pre and post emergence broadleaf and grassy weeds in major crops by binding to the plastoquinone binding protein in photosystem ll inhibiting electron transport Atrazine and its derivatives are also used in many industrial processes including the production of some dyes and explosives Atrazine is the most widely used herbicide in conservation tillage systems which are designed to prevent soil erosion Its effect on yields has been estimated from 6 to 1 with 3 4 being the conclusion of an extensive review Atrazine Atrazine is used to stop pre and post emergence broadleaf and grassy weeds in major crops by binding to the plastoquinone binding protein in photosystem ll inhibiting electron transport Atrazine and its derivatives are also used in many industrial processes including the production of some dyes and explosives Atrazine is the most widely used herbicide in conservation tillage systems which are designed to prevent soil erosion Its effect on yields has been estimated from 6 to 1 with 3 4 being the conclusion of an extensive review Atrazine Atrazine degrades in soil by the action of microbes Rates of biodegradation are affected by atrazine s low solubility thus surfactants increase the degradation rate Atrazine itself is a poor energy source due to the highly oxidized carbons in the ring It is catabolized as a carbon and nitrogen source in reducing environments Inorganic nitrogen accelerates atrazine catabolism whereas organic nitrogen decreases it Low concentrations of glucose can decrease the bioavailability whereas higher concentrations promote the catabolism of atrazine Atrazine Atrazine was banned in the Euopran Union EU in 2004 because of its persistent groundwater contamination however atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides with 76 million pounds of it applied each year It is probably the most commonly used herbicide in the world and is used in about 80 countries worldwide Its endocrine effects possible carcinogenic effect and epidemiological connection to low sperm levels in men has led several researchers to call for banning it in the US Atrazine In 2002 Tyrone Hayes a scientist at UC Berkeley found evidence that it is a tetratogen causing demasculinization in male frogs even at low concentrations and an estrogen disruptor Male frogs affected by atrazine had testosterone levels below females In 2003 Dr Hayes found that atrazine induced hermaphroditism at 0 1 ppb in American leopard frogs An abstract appears online in Environmental Health Perspectives April 2003 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Atrazine The EPA and its independent Scientific Advisory Panel SAP examined all available studies on this topic