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Urge the EPA to Ban the Deadly Chemical Atrazine

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Sponsor: The Breast Cancer Site

Tell the EPA to stop allowing the use of Atrazine on our produce.


The herbicide atrazine is commonly used by crop growers in the United States to prevent weeds from taking over large fields of crops1.

However atrazine has been linked to birth defects, reproductive issues, and even cancer2.

Atrazine is effective at killing weeds that take over the crops we enjoy, but huge problems arise when the toxic chemical seeps into our water lines and gets swept up by the wind3. Even in low doses, atrazine is highly hazardous to public health. Atrazine ingestion and inhalation can be linked to an array of health problems, such as reproductive complications, low birth weight, birth defects, and even cancer3.

In addition, atrazine severely stunts development in frogs. Scientific studies have found that exposure to the chemical caused physical organ deformation in the amphibians4.

The European Union has effectively banned the use of atrazine, and research suggests the economic implications of the ban have been marginal at worst. If the United States adopted a restriction on atrazine, it's likely we would see a significant improvement in public health without a noticeable negative impact on the agricultural economy5.

It's entirely possible to farm and grow crops without the use of this toxic chemical.

Sign the petition snd tell the EPA to ban atrazine and support the adoption of new herbicidal chemicals that do not put the health of humans or animals in danger.

More on this issue:

  1. United States Environmental Protection Agency, (20 May 2021), "Atrazine."
  2. Center for Biological Diversity (27 August 2009), "New Research: Herbicide Atrazine Linked to Cancer, Birth Defects, Endocrine Disruption, and Endangered Species Impacts."
  3. Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Department of Health And Human Services (September 2003), "Public Health Statement Atrazine."
  4. Robert Sanders, UC Berkeley (4 April 2002), "Popular weed killer demasculinizes frogs, disrupts their sexual development, UC Berkeley study shows."
  5. Science for Environmental Policy, European Commission (7 November 2013), "Herbicide levels in coastal waters drop after EU Ban."
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The Petition:

Dear EPA Administrator,

Atrazine is no longer an acceptable form of destroying unwanted weeds, as it is known to cause serious health problems for both humans and animals. Once sprayed onto crops, the toxic chemical is transported through the air and through our drinking water.

Even in low doses, atrazine has been linked to several serious health defects, including reproductive problems, low birth weights, and the proliferation of cancerous cells.

A chemical as dangerous as this should not be allowed near the food we eat or the water we drink. Period. Please support efforts to find a non-toxic alternative to atrazine.

Sincerely,

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Signatures: