New EPA study to finally examine atrazine health risks

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today launching a new evaluation of the human health effects of the pesticide atrazine. According to an agency press release, "EPA will evaluate the pesticide’s potential cancer and non-cancer effects on humans," including "the most recent studies on atrazine and its potential association with birth defects, low birth weight, and premature births." Based on the findings, EPA says it will decide whether to keep the old standards or formulate new ones to better protect public health.

Atrazine --an endocrine disruptor sold as Lariat, Bicep and Shotgun-- is one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the U.S. The pesticide is now so commonly found in groundwater, lakes and rivers that technicians use its absence as a red flag that a water test has been botched.

Dr. Tyrone Hays, atrazine expert, says he's pleased by EPA's action. "I was very happy to see this response from the EPA. It is a clear indication that the new administration will finally start to emphasize environmental health, public health, and good science."

However, Hayes' assessment of the EPA's track record on this hazardous chemicals is less than sanguine. "The influence that the chemical (and other) industry lobbies have had in the decision-making processes has set us back dramatically. With regards to atrazine, it will be interesting to see whether litigation, legislation, or regulation will be the first to accomplish what should have been done ten years ago--eliminating the use of this hazardous chemical."

Atrazine is one of a group of chemical contaminants called endocrine disruptors, which mimic natural hormones in the body. Since hormones are very powerful biologically, exposure to small amounts of endocrine distruptors can profoundly affect organisms causing serious health problems. The risks from endocrine disruptors were largely unknown a decade ago. The threat they pose is causing increasingly serious concern among pro-environment advocates.
 

Amphibians Act as Health Risk Sentinel

Hayes is  tenured professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley where his research focuses on the role of environmental factors on growth and development in amphibians. He got involved with atrazine, long a target of environmental and health advocates, after being commissioned by the chemical's manufacturer Novartis (later Syngenta) to do a safety study. 

Their results showed that atrazine is a potent endocrine disruptor that chemically castrates and feminizes exposed male amphibians at low ecologically-relevant concentrations. After a chilly reaction from the company and attempts to undermine Hayes' work, he quit the consulting position and continued studying atrazine.

His research clearly showed, "the adverse effects of atrazine extend beyond amphibians. Through endocrine-disrupting mechanisms identical to those acting in amphibians, atrazine produces effects in other animals, including prostate and breast cancer and decreased fertility in laboratory rodents."

"In addition to the scientific interests, this issue is one of environmental justice. Citizens in lower socio-economic classes and, in particular, ethnic minorities are less likely to have access to this information, more likely to be employed and live in areas where they are exposed to pesticides, less likely to have access to appropriate health care, and more likely to die from what are already the number one cancers in men in women (prostate and breast cancer, respectively), with cancer now being the number one cause of death in the US."

New EPA study to conclude in 2010

“One of Administrator Jackson’s top priorities is to improve the way EPA manages and assesses the risk of chemicals,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. “Our examination of atrazine will be based on transparency and sound science, including independent scientific peer review, and will help determine whether a change in EPA’s regulatory position on this pesticide is appropriate.”

During the new evaluation, EPA will consider the potential for atrazine cancer and non-cancer effects, and will include data generated since 2003 from laboratory and population studies. To be certain that the best science possible is used in its atrazine human health risk assessment and ensure transparency, EPA will seek advice from the independent Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) established under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

EPA will engage the SAP to evaluate the human health effects of atrazine over the coming year. By the fall of 2010, EPA will present and seek peer review of its evaluation of atrazine cancer and non-cancer effects based on animal toxicology studies and epidemiology studies. At the conclusion of this process, EPA will ask the SAP to review atrazine’s potential effects on amphibians and aquatic ecosystems. The SAP meetings will be open to the public.

According to EPA, agency staff plan to meet with interested groups to explore better ways to inform the public more quickly about results of atrazine drinking water monitoring.