A review of the potential adverse health impacts of atrazine in humans.

Parinaz Poursafa, Roya Kelishadi, Motahar Heidari-Beni, Sina Arabi, Minaalsadat Roshanaei

Journal: Reviews on environmental health 2025;40(2):347-359

PMID: 39279140

Abstract

Atrazine is a widely used chlorinated triazine herbicide in agricultural settings, which has raised concerns over its potential adverse effects on human health. The extensive application of atrazine has resulted in its pervasive presence in the environment, contaminating soil, groundwater, and surface water. While earlier research suggested that atrazine is unlikely to pose a health concern, recent evidence has indicated the necessity to reassess this point of view. This review aims to assess the recent evidence on atrazine's adverse effects on human health, focusing on (i) Cancer, (ii) Metabolic Diseases, (iii) Reproductive System, (iv) Neural System, and (v) Epigenetic Effects. Strategies to mitigate atrazine contamination and limitations of previous studies are also discussed. We strongly believe that further investigation is necessary to determine the potential detrimental consequences of atrazine in humans, particularly in developing countries, where herbicides are widely used without stringent safety regulations. Therefore, the current review will be beneficial for guiding future research and regulatory measures concerning the use of atrazine.

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Address: Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.; Department of Nutrition, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.; Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.; School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamic Azad University Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, 48455 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran.

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