Originally published April 18 2005
Herbicide runoff brings calls for more careful use
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The use of atrazine, a herbicide widely used by farmers in the United States and elsewhere, is bringing calls for more cautious use after reports of high levels of the chemical being found in watersheds in Indiana. Millions of pounds of atrazine are used on corn and sorghum in Indiana to control grassy weeds. A scientist at Purdue University says that farmers need to follow setback restrictions on how close atrazine can be applied to surface water supplies, and that the use of the herbicide after weeds emerge rather than applying it to the soil will mitigate water quality concerns.
Producers who use weed control products with the active ingredient atrazine need to be extra careful when applying the herbicide to cropfields near watersheds, said Bill Johnson, a Purdue University Extension weed scientist.
High levels of atrazine have been found in almost a dozen watersheds in Indiana.
Farmers can reduce the risk of atrazine runoff by not making applications nearer to water sources than recommended or at times when the herbicide is more likely to wash away, Johnson said.
In 2003 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began requiring that atrazine manufacturers increase monitoring of selected surface water supplies, said Leighanne Hahn, water quality program specialist in the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC).
"We began recognizing the concern with atrazine in surface water supplies when the federal Safe Drinking Water Act was implemented," Hahn said.
Together, the 11 water systems serve more than 1.1 million people.
Millions of pounds of atrazine are applied annually to corn and sorghum in Indiana to control a wide range of broadleaf and grassy weeds, Johnson said.
"Monitoring data has shown that atrazine is not showing up in groundwater but is showing up in surface water, such as reservoirs, ponds and lakes," he said.
In response, the EPA ordered atrazine manufacturers to develop a comprehensive monitoring program for community water systems with high atrazine levels.
"Think of the atrazine mitigation plan as kind of a 'three strikes and you're out' sort of plan," Johnson said.
If you have another detection within a five-year period, you have to develop a mitigation plan.
Additional information on atrazine is available in Purdue Extension publications PPP-66, "Atrazine and Drinking Water: Understanding the Needs of Farmers and Citizens," and PPP-67, "Atrazine Use and Weed Management Strategies to Protect Surface Water Quality."
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