Atrazine Found at Dangerous Levels in a Quarter of US Rivers

· Climate · United States

An interview with Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity, produced by public radio's Living on Earth in collaboration with Inside Climate News, examines atrazine, the second-most widely used weed killer in the U.S. after glyphosate. Atrazine is described as a carcinogenic pesticide that "no one needs," and it has been found in dangerous quantities in a quarter of U.S. rivers. The interview sets out the chemical's scale of use and the contamination findings, and the concerns raised about its presence in waterways.

Why it matters：Atrazine's widespread presence in U.S. waterways keeps pressure on regulators and farm suppliers over one of the most heavily used agricultural chemicals.

Key points

  • Atrazine is the second-most widely used weed killer in the U.S. after glyphosate.
  • Dangerous quantities were found in a quarter of U.S. rivers.
  • The interview features Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity.

Sources (original reporting)

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