Study Finds Atrazine Safe for Aquatic Plant Life

Showing that laboratory results can differ greatly from real world results, a  recent study found that the herbicide atrazine, common for weed control in corn and sorghum crops in large-scale farming operations, does not have any measurable impact on aquatic plant life over the long term, according to a report from Science 2.0 website.

“Previous studies at this scale have almost exclusively performed static exposures; that is, added atrazine to the water at a constant rate such that the concentration stays the same over time. This does not occur in nature; hence our study using pulsed exposures is far more appropriate for assessing the effects of atrazine, or any pesticide for that matter, on aquatic life,” said lead investigator Ryan S. King, Ph.D., professor of biology in at Baylor University.

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Atrazine has been used for decades and some studies have contended that it might have an impact in laboratory experiments, the article said. It has a “level of concern” as identified by United States Environmental Protection Agency, The study authors say this research is the first to address atrazine levels as they would “naturally occur in agricultural areas during rainfall runoff events.”

Use FCI’s Sourcing Network to find companies selling atrazine.

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