Special Review of Atrazine: Proposed Decision for Consultation (REV2015-11)

A letter from the David Suzuki Foundation, Équiterre, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), and Environmental Defence to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) criticizing the lack of rigour and limited scope of the special review of atrazine (REV2015-11).

• The authors argue that the PMRA's special review of atrazine failed to examine individual end-use pest control products as required by the Pest Control Products Act, neglecting the cumulative effects and synergies of active ingredients and coformulants.
• The PMRA's groundwater modelling estimated a highest environmental concentration of 164 µg/L, which is over 30 times the Canadian drinking water guideline of 5 µg/L. The authors criticize the PMRA for using a less protective 'Drinking Water Level of Comparison' (1300.5 µg/L for acute and 41.9 µg/L for chronic effects) instead of the drinking water guideline.
• The document asserts that the special review failed to assess surface water contamination in Canada, despite evidence that atrazine levels in Ontario and Quebec exceed the Canadian Water Quality Guideline for the protection of aquatic life (1.8 µg/L). In Quebec, atrazine was found in an average of 97% of samples in rivers crossing rural soy and corn areas, with maximum concentrations reaching 13 µg/l in 2014.
• The authors state that conventional drinking water treatment is ineffective at removing atrazine, noting its presence in Toronto's drinking water (0.077 – 0.166 µg/L in 2014) and the presence of the byproduct DEA in Montreal's drinking and surface water at levels exceeding European standards.
• The document highlights ecological risks, including endocrine disruption in vertebrates (fish, amphibians, and reptiles) and negative impacts on bullfrogs in the Yamaska River watershed, where herbicide contamination was linked to growth problems and immune system regulation issues.
• The authors claim the PMRA failed to assess human health risks for farmers and farming communities, citing studies linking atrazine to fetal growth restriction in France, stomach cancer in Ontario, breast cancer in Kentucky, and various cancers (leukemia, brain, testicular, and prostate) among farm workers in California.
• The document notes synergistic effects where atrazine increases the toxicity of other substances, such as multiplying the toxicity of the insecticide diazinon by up to 400% in midges and amphipods, and increasing shrimp larvae mortality when combined with fipronil and imidacloprid.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). Special Review of Atrazine: Proposed Decision for Consultation (REV2015-11). https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE’s-Letter-to-PMRA-re-Special-Review-of-Atrazine-February-2016.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Special Review of Atrazine: Proposed Decision for Consultation (REV2015-11). 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE’s-Letter-to-PMRA-re-Special-Review-of-Atrazine-February-2016.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Special Review of Atrazine: Proposed Decision for Consultation (REV2015-11) |date=12 February 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE’s-Letter-to-PMRA-re-Special-Review-of-Atrazine-February-2016.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016special, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Special Review of Atrazine: Proposed Decision for Consultation (REV2015-11)}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE’s-Letter-to-PMRA-re-Special-Review-of-Atrazine-February-2016.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }