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

The document critiques the PMRA's special review of atrazine, claiming it ignores synergistic effects of pesticide mixtures, fails to assess surface water contamination, and uses less protective drinking water standards than necessary. It cites evidence of atrazine's presence in Canadian groundwater and surface water, as well as its links to endocrine disruption in wildlife and various cancers and developmental issues in humans.

• The authors argue that the PMRA's special review is flawed because it does not examine individual end-use pest control products, ignoring the potential cumulative effects and synergies of active ingredients and coformulants.
• Atrazine has been detected in 11% of Canadian groundwater samples (119 out of 1067), with a maximum concentration of 2.32 µg/L, which exceeds the 0.1 µg/L threshold used by the European Union to ban the substance.
• The PMRA's use of a 'Drinking Water Level of Comparison' (1300.5 µg/L for acute and 41.9 µg/L for chronic effects) is criticized as being less protective than the Health Canada drinking water guideline of 5 µg/L.
• The review is criticized for failing to assess surface water contamination, despite data showing atrazine in Ontario and Quebec exceeds the Canadian Water Quality Guideline for the protection of aquatic life (1.8 µg/L).
• In Quebec, monitoring by the MDDELCC found atrazine in an average of 97% of samples from rivers in rural soy and corn areas, with maximum concentrations reaching 13 µg/l in 2014.
• Atrazine is linked to endocrine disruption in vertebrates, specifically affecting aromatase and causing demasculinization and partial or complete feminization in fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
• The document cites various human health risks associated with atrazine exposure, including fetal growth restriction, increased odds of preterm birth, and correlations with stomach, breast, and various cancers in specific populations.

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} }