The hormone-disrupting herbicide atrazine is contaminating nearly 25%, or about 860,000 miles, of all continental US rivers at levels that can harm wildlife and may threaten human health, a new review of federal records has found.

The waterways cover over 20% of surface drinking water intakes across the country, and over 675,000 private and commercial wells.

Atrazine can have severe impacts on human and animal hormones, especially for developing children. It was found to “chemically castrate” frogs, and cause some to change sexes. The herbicide is so dangerous that it has been effectively banned in 60 countries, including the European Union, since 2003.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Atrazine can have severe impacts on human and animal hormones, especially for developing children. It was found to “chemically castrate” frogs, and cause some to change sexes. The herbicide is so dangerous that it has been effectively banned in 60 countries, including the European Union, since 2003. Litigation in the US seeks to strike down its approval, but it remains the second most widely used pesticide here, with about 70m pounds sprayed on the nation’s cropland annually.

    trump is turning the frogs gay?

  • mydude@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    The famous Alex Jones “gay frogs” atrazine rant breaks down into a few dates:

    • 2010 : Jones first pushed the core claim on his broadcast, saying homosexuality was being encouraged “with chemicals” as a “chemical warfare operation” (per NBC News). (CNBC)
    • 2015 : the actual viral clip, where he shouts that the government is “putting chemicals in the water that turn the friggin’ frogs gay!”, is from a 2015 InfoWars segment. (Wikipedia, Factually)
    • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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      6 days ago

      Still why I put him in controlled op camp. Rather than actually getting businesses to have to stop this and to enforce protection of our water ways he can turn reasonable outrage energy towards a fictiona and therefor unstoppable enemy of satanic “government” cabal entities.

  • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    The EPA has failed to act, Donley said, because atrazine is chemical giant Syngenta’s flagship product, widely used, and profitable. Analysts estimate $2-3bn in US sales in 2025.

    “It’s the one of the most powerful pesticide industry lobbies behind glyphosate, because of the amount of money being made, and it’s the result of political malfeasance,” Donley said.

    Glyphosate, also famously terrible for you and the environment, banned in every other country with a brain.

  • 404found@lemmy.zip
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    8 days ago

    This just in, Robert Kennedy says atrazine isn’t toxic but it does cause you to become gay.