Atrazine ranks as a common herbicide in the United States, where it’s frequently used to boost corn and sorghum yields by curbing weed growth.
Conversely, the European Union has banned atrazine, which some research suggests can disrupt hormone production in wildlife and potentially humans. A 2021 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center indicated that Nebraska counties applying the most atrazine also exhibited higher incidences of estrogen-related cancers, including breast and prostate cancer.
Human exposure to herbicides often comes via drinking water, much of which is drawn from groundwater — with many studies consequently using groundwater concentrations as a proxy for local exposure risks. Given that, the UNMC researchers expected to find elevated concentrations of atrazine in the groundwater of high-usage counties. They didn’t.
