2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid
2,4-D·Affects kidneys, liver
One of the most widely used herbicides in the world, applied to lawns, wheat, corn, and pasture to kill broadleaf weeds. Detected in surface and groundwater across North America.
2,4-D
EPA limit
0.07 mg/L (MCL)
Most at risk
Rural well-water households, suburban lawn-treatment households, agricultural workers
Found in
City water · Well water
AquaOx filters
YesActivated coconut shell carbon
What it does to you
Health effects
2,4-D is classified by the IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Epidemiological studies of farmers and lawn-care workers have associated chronic exposure with elevated rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and soft-tissue sarcoma, though the EPA has historically held the classification as not likely carcinogenic at expected exposures.
Chronic exposure damages the kidneys and liver and is linked to endocrine disruption, including effects on thyroid function. Animal studies show reproductive and developmental toxicity at moderate exposures.
Acute high-dose exposure causes nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, and in severe cases nerve damage. The compound was a primary ingredient in Agent Orange, where the toxic effects were largely attributable to dioxin contamination rather than 2,4-D itself, but the parent compound carries its own chronic risks.
Where it comes from
How it gets into your water
2,4-D is sprayed on wheat, corn, sorghum, pasture, and millions of residential lawns each year. It is highly water-soluble and breaks down within weeks in soil, but the sheer volume of application means it is one of the most commonly detected pesticides in US surface water.
Spring and summer rains wash 2,4-D off treated fields and lawns into storm drains, ditches, and streams. The compound is also detected in shallow groundwater in agricultural regions and in suburban areas with heavy lawn-treatment culture.
Drift from agricultural application can contaminate nearby surface-water sources, and incorrect homeowner application timing (before forecasted rain) is a major contributor to detection in urban runoff.
Wheat and corn fields
Broadleaf weed control
Residential lawn treatment
Heavy seasonal application
Agricultural runoff
Storm water carries it into waterways
Shallow groundwater
Detected in farming regions
Find out for yourself
Is it in your water?
Public utilities test for 2,4-D and report results in their annual Consumer Confidence Report. It is one of the more commonly detected pesticides in US drinking water, though levels in city systems rarely approach the EPA limit.
Private well owners in agricultural regions or downstream of suburban areas with heavy lawn-treatment use should test for 2,4-D at least once. Levels typically peak in late spring and early summer following application.
The fix
How AquaOx filters it
2,4-D is filtered efficiently by activated carbon. The coconut shell carbon stage in The AquaOx adsorbs 2,4-D molecules as water passes through, with independent testing showing reductions above 90%.
For well-water households in agricultural regions, we recommend pairing The AquaOx with our FE Edition or RE Edition if iron or hydrogen sulfide is also present, and adding the under-sink RO for additional drinking-water polish.
Sources & further reading