Drinking water contaminant 'castrates' frogs

The EPA said in October that it planned to reassess atrazine's safety, including its cancer risk. The European Union has banned the chemical.p>About 75% of stream water samples and 40% of groundwater samples contain atrazine, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. p>The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, detected atrazine in 90% of tap water samples from 139 water systems. Inexpensive faucet-top water filters can remove the chemical, says Jennifer Sass, a scientist with the group.p>Several water systems in Illinois, where atrazine is commonly used on corn and other crops, are suing the chemical's manufacturers, asking them to pay the cost of taking the herbicide out of drinking water.p>The principal scientist for Syngenta Crop Protection, the leading manufacturer of atrazine, says the chemical is safe. Company-sponsored studies that met rigorous EPA standards found atrazine has "no effect on frog sexual development," Tim Pastoor says.p>He criticized the new study and notes that Hayes tested only one dose of atrazine. A stronger study would have exposed frogs to several doses and noted any trends, he says.p>Given that atrazine has survived years of scrutiny by the EPA, Pastoor says, he sees no reason to re-examine atrazine's safety now. "As far as we're concerned, it's unnecessary," he says.p>Although scientists still have many questions about atrazine, Sass says, the chemical should be phased out as a precaution.div>