Dinoseb
Dinoseb·Affects reproductive, brain
A nitrophenol herbicide banned by the EPA in 1986 due to severe reproductive and developmental toxicity. Still detected in groundwater in regions where it was heavily applied.
Dinoseb
EPA limit
0.007 mg/L (MCL)
Most at risk
Rural well-water households in former soybean and peanut growing areas, women of childbearing age
Found in
City water · Well water
AquaOx filters
YesActivated coconut shell carbon
What it does to you
Health effects
Dinoseb is one of the few pesticides the EPA pulled from the market under emergency action. The 1986 cancellation was triggered by evidence of severe reproductive and developmental harm, including birth defects, reduced fertility, and effects on the developing fetus at exposures well within real-world application scenarios.
The compound also damages the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, and in higher exposures convulsions. It uncouples cellular energy production, which is why acute poisonings can be fatal even at modest doses.
The EPA considers dinoseb a developmental toxicant of particular concern for pregnant women. Even chronic low-level exposure through contaminated drinking water is treated as a significant risk because the developmental effects can occur at very low thresholds.
Where it comes from
How it gets into your water
Dinoseb was applied as a contact herbicide and dormant spray on soybeans, peanuts, vegetables, and tree fruit from the 1940s until 1986. It is moderately water-soluble and degrades slowly in groundwater, so detection persists in regions where it was heavily used.
The compound binds moderately to soil but leaches gradually into shallow aquifers. Private wells near former application areas in the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest still register detections decades after the ban.
No new applications are permitted, so the source is entirely legacy contamination working through the hydrologic cycle.
Legacy soybean and peanut fields
Pre-1986 applications still leaching
Legacy orchards
Dormant spray applications
Shallow groundwater
Persistent in former-use regions
Find out for yourself
Is it in your water?
Public utilities test for dinoseb and report results in their annual Consumer Confidence Report. Detections in city water are now rare.
Private well owners in regions with historical dinoseb use (parts of the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest) should consider testing as part of a broader pesticide panel, particularly if a woman in the household is or may become pregnant.
The fix
How AquaOx filters it
Dinoseb is filtered efficiently by activated carbon. The coconut shell carbon stage in The AquaOx adsorbs dinoseb molecules as water passes through, with independent testing showing high reduction rates.
For well-water households in regions with historical use, 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.