Agribusiness giant Syngenta - Monsanto's biggest competitor - was dealt a major blow on Friday, when the state of California added atrazine, the company's top-selling weed killer, to the state's list of toxic chemicals.
The move by California health officials could drastically cut the use of the hormone-disrupting chemical in the state. Atrazine is the second most commonly used herbicide in the U.S., and is found in the drinking water supply of more than 27 million Americans.
The pesticide has been linked to a number of developmental and reproductive problems. Male frogs exposed to small doses of atrazine become functionally female, and studies show that the chemical interferes with the reproductive health of people, too.
Men and women exposed to atrazine have had reproductive abnormalities, such as poor semen quality and irregular menstrual cycles.
Chemicals that California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment classifies as causing cancer, reproductive harm or birth defects are registered under a law known as Proposition 65. The law prevents businesses from knowingly exposing consumers to chemicals California knows to be toxic without providing a warning. Established by the state in 1986, the law's list now includes more than 800 chemicals.
Comment: More Stark Evidence of the Hazards of Atrazine