The Biden administration plans to increase the allowable environmental threshold for atrazine, a controversial pesticide, sparking backlash from environmental groups.
Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.
In short:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed threshold for atrazine in the environment would rise from 3.4 micrograms per liter to 9.7 micrograms.
- Atrazine, commonly used on corn and sugarcane, is known to disrupt endocrine systems and has been banned in the EU.
- Critics argue the pesticide's toxicity makes effective mitigation impossible even at low levels.
Key quote:
“Atrazine is so toxic, even in microscopic amounts, and so extremely persistent, that effective mitigation is just impossible.”
— Lori Ann Burd, environmental health program director at the Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
Atrazine exposure can affect wildlife and public health, raising concerns about endocrine disruption and environmental persistence. The EPA's decision may shape future policies under shifting political administrations.
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