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ALACHLOR
FACT SHEET ON A DRINKING WATER CHEMICAL CONTAMINANT
GENERAL INFORMATION
Synonyms
•	Trade name: lasso
•	Other names: Alanex; Pillarzo; Aiazine
•	Component of: Bronco, Bullet, Cannon,
Freedom, and lariat
Chemical Description:
•	An herbicide which is c member of the
chemical family of acetanilides
Properties:
•	Cream colored crystalline solid at room
temperature
•	low vapor pressure
•	Highly soluble in water
Production and Us®:
•	Used as an herbicide to control annual grasses
and broadleaf weeds, applied to the soil
surface or just below it either before or just
after the crop has emerged
•	Used primarily on field corn and soybean
crops, and is also used on ornamental plants in
commercial nurseries
ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE
Occurrence;
•	Reported to occur in both ground and surface
waters
•	Results of the EPA's 1990 National Pesticide
Survey (NPS) indicate that alachlor is seldom
present above the MCI of 0,002 mg/l in rural
domestic wells nationwide, and was not
detected in any Community Water System
(CWS) wells
Releases:
•	Enters surface wafer as a result of runoff from
treated fields, and enters ground wafer by
leaching of treated crop soils
•	May enter ground water from direct entry into
a well through accidental chemical spills or
improper storage near a well
Environmental Fat®:
•	Degraaes quickly by bio-degradation:
metabolized rapidly by crops after application:
degraded by bacteria in soil under both
aerobic and anaerobic conditions
•	High potential for contamination of surface
waters due to low volatility and high soiuchty
•	Does not photodegrade
•	Does not hydrolyze under environmental
conditions
•	Moderate mobility in sandy and silty sods,
being transported by solution in water, with
high potential for migration to ground watef
•	low potential for bioaccumulation
HEALTH EFFECTS
Humans:
•	No adequate human studies available on the
carcinogenic potential of alachlor
Experimental Animate
•	Short-term exposures are likely to cause only
slight skin and eye irritation
» long-term exposures via ingestion result m
damage to the liver, kidneys, spieen nasal
turbinates (tumors), and eyes
•	No apparent fetotoxic or teratogenic potential
•	Weak mutagenic potential
« High carcinogenic potential
•	Causes lung tumors in mice, and stomach,
thyroid and nasal turbinate tumors in rats
REGULATORY PROFILE
Existing Standards:
•Clean Air Act (CAA): Mot regulated
•Clean Wafer Act (CWA):
No criteria established
•Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA):
Not regulated
•Superfund (CERCLA):
•Not regulated
•SARA: Not listed
•Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodentlcide Act (FIFRA):
Registered
•Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA):
Not regulated

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HEALTH INFORMATION
ANALYTICAL METHODS
Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCIG):
•	Non-enforceable levels based solely on an
evaluation of possible health risks and
exposure, and taking into consideration a
margin for public safety
•	Set at zero mg/l to protect against cancer
MCLG for Alachlor = Zero mg/L
(effective July 1992)
Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL):
•	Legally enforceable levels for contaminants in
public drinking wafer supplies
•	Based on health risks associated with the
contaminants, analytical methods for their
assay, and wafer treatment feasibility and
practicality aspects
•	Exceedance of the MCL in drinking water may
result in adverse effects which will depend
upon the contaminant concentration in wafer,
amount of water/contaminant ingested,
length of exposure, and other biological
parameters
MCL for Alachlor = 0.002 mg/l
(effective July 1992)
EPA Health Advisories (HA):
•	Short-term HAs: Provide acceotabie
concentrations of contaminants in water for
up to 10 day exposures, primarily to evaluate
the public health risk resulting from an
accidental spill or an emergency
contamination situation
•	Longer-term HA*: Provide guidance for
persistent water contamination situations to
cover a period of up to 7 years
•	Lifetime HAs: Derived in the same way as an
MCIG
Health Advj»orf—:
Short-term HA for a child = 0.1 mg/L
Longer-term HA for a child *
Not recommended
Longer-term HA for an adult =
Not recommended
Lifetime HA = Not recommended
•	Microexfraction and Gas Chromatography
EPA Method 505
•	Gas Chromatography with a Nitrogen-
Phosphorous Detector
EPA Method 507
•	liquid-Solid Extraction and Capillary Column
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
EPA Method 525
WATER TREATMENT
Permanent Treatment:
•	lest Available Technology (SAT):
•	Granular Activated Carbon
SHORT-TERM HAZARD ELIMINATION
•	If the drinking wafer standards are exceeded,
install BAT or use an alternative drinking wafer
supply such as bottled wafer
ADDITIONAL HELP
•	State or county health officials can indicate a
certified laboratory for testing
» Experts in the state Department of
Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, or
Agriculture may also be of help
•	The EPA has • toll-free numbers for further
information on drinking water quality,
treatment technologies, for obtaining Health
Advisories, and for other regulatory information
•	EPA Hotlines are available Monday through
Friday
•Safe Drinking Water	800-426-4791
•	National Pesticides:	800-858-7378
•Superfund/RCRA: 800-424-9346
•	For information on the Clean Wafer Act, call
(202) 260-7301
•	For information on the Toxic Substances
Control Act, call (202) 554-1404
•	For information on the Ciean Air Act, call
(919) 541-2777

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