Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass

Source: NY Times

For decades, farmers, lawn care workers and professional green thumbs have relied on the popular weed killer atrazine to protect their crops, golf courses and manicured lawns.

But atrazine often washes into water supplies and has become among the most common contaminants in American reservoirs and other sources of drinking water.

Now, new research suggests that atrazine may be dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought. Recent studies suggest that, even at concentrations meeting current federal standards, the chemical may be associated with birth defects, low birth weights and menstrual problems.

Laboratory experiments suggest that when animals are exposed to brief doses of atrazine before birth, they may become more vulnerable to cancer later.

An investigation by The New York Times has found that in some towns, atrazine concentrations in drinking water have spiked, sometimes for longer than a month. But the reports produced by local water systems for residents often fail to reflect those higher concentrations.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/us/23water.html?hp

on some really obnoxious weeds. This was a quarter century ago, at least. He was explaining to me that herbicide is the only thing he uses, that pesticide is deadly. He said, gesturing to his truck, "... you can actually drink this."

I haven't seen him since, mainly because we have an orchard and don't want to harm our bees, or the birds that eat them, hence no herbicide. But I do wonder if the man is still alive.

I wonder if a home filtration system could filter out things like Atrazine. Anyone know?

I 2 am a bee keeper have been for a lot of years. I understand the apples business I am from The Hudson River Valley and was raised around the beez. I have 2 hives i the yard now backed up against the privet hedge. Some folks stop an are interested in them other s will not walk on this side of the street. Yes I'm a in town bee keeper. Albert E figured it out an said If we lose the beez humans have 4 more years to live on planet earth. Anyway i have never heard of a filter to do it unless a good carbon/charcoal,filter would work. Try to get the water analyzed, i believe the county agent, or the farm bureau should know how to get it done. Good luck to you Bill

We also keep HoneyBees.
My wife (cancer survivor) and I feel so strongly about pesticides/herbicides and other toxins that we moved The Woods in 2006.
Pesticides and Herbicides are permanently banned from our hilltop (no wash down).
Our drinking water comes from an underground spring, and there is no commercial agriculture, suburbs, or industry for many miles.

I met another BeeKeeper on a thread in Rural/Farm.
I wonder how many DUers are BeeKeepers.

"Science" reporting today is nothing but alarmism for those who didn't take (or couldn't fathom) chemistry, biology, physics or statistics.

You may as well be asking "if radioactive cesium acts (chemically) like calcium, what harm could it do?"

Better question IMO.

:smoke:

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing. I have never used "weed and feed" on my lawn, because I was afraid that the St Augustine and Bahia would be killed. Years ago I went through one bottle of Round Up and decided it was a waste of money. I bought a weed-whacker and am now on my third weed whacker. I don't know that the small engine is better for the environment, but it's essential to tidiness and a sense of immediate accomplishment. Especially when you buy the pole saw and edger attachments.

I developed auto-immune disease and the community has an above average percentage of auto-immune. Over the last decade, the area has been sold off an housing put in, but the aquifer is not fit for human consumption.