Dalapon
Dalapon·Affects kidneys
A chlorinated herbicide used to control unwanted grasses along roadsides, in orchards, and around irrigation ditches. EPA-regulated due to kidney effects at chronic exposure.
Dalapon
EPA limit
0.2 mg/L (MCL)
Most at risk
Rural well-water households near treated rights-of-way, agricultural communities
Found in
City water · Well water
AquaOx filters
YesActivated coconut shell carbon
What it does to you
Health effects
Dalapon's primary chronic health concern is damage to the kidneys. The EPA established the drinking water standard based on minor kidney changes observed in long-term animal studies, with the MCL set well below the level at which effects appear.
The EPA does not classify dalapon as a carcinogen. Acute exposure causes irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, but the compound is considered moderately toxic compared to organochlorine and carbamate insecticides.
Long-term low-level exposure through drinking water has not been associated with major systemic effects beyond renal endpoints, but the EPA maintains a conservative limit because chronic kidney stress can compound with other environmental exposures.
Where it comes from
How it gets into your water
Dalapon is applied to control quackgrass, bermudagrass, and other unwanted grasses around orchards, vineyards, drainage ditches, and roadsides. It is highly water-soluble and degrades within several weeks in soil, so detection in groundwater is less common than for more persistent herbicides.
Surface-water detection typically follows direct application near waterways, such as treatment of ditch banks for vegetation control. The compound can also enter groundwater through application around irrigation infrastructure.
Public utilities drawing from rivers that flow past treated rights-of-way occasionally detect dalapon at low levels.
Orchards and vineyards
Grass-control applications
Irrigation ditches
Direct application near waterways
Roadside vegetation control
Highway and utility right-of-way spraying
Find out for yourself
Is it in your water?
Public utilities test for dalapon and report results in their annual Consumer Confidence Report. Detections are uncommon and almost always below the EPA limit.
Private well owners whose property is near orchards, vineyards, or rights-of-way treated with grass herbicides may consider testing for dalapon as part of a broader pesticide panel.
The fix
How AquaOx filters it
Dalapon is filtered efficiently by activated carbon. The coconut shell carbon stage in The AquaOx adsorbs dalapon molecules as water passes through, with independent testing showing high reduction rates.
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.