Comment submitted by B. Sachau

public comment on federal register of 8/15/06 vol 71 #157 pg 46911 docket 2006 0192 frl 8064-1 atrazine - only zero tolerance should be allowed. at most .0001 ppm. this chemical has not been tested by epa for combinant strength. some chemicals when they combine with others are two thousand times as toxic. epa wants to allow this chemical to be used when they have never tested for this toxicity strenth. the american public is being used as guinea pigs. Acute toxicity: Atrazine is slightly to moderately toxic to humans and other animals. It can be absorbed orally, dermally, and by inhalation. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, eye irritation, irritation of mucous membranes, and skin reactions [3]. At very high doses, rats show excitation followed by depression, slowed breathing, incoordination, muscle spasms, and hypothermia [3]. After consuming a large oral dose, rats exhibit muscular weakness, hypoactivity, breathing difficulty, prostration, convulsions, and death [16]. Atrazine is a mild skin irritant. Rashes associated with exposure have been reported. The oral LD50 for atrazine is 3090 mg/kg in rats, 1750 mg/kg in mice, 750 mg/kg in rabbits, and 1000 mg/kg in hamsters. The dermal LD50 in rabbits is 7500 mg/kg and greater than 3000 mg/kg in rats [15,16]. The 1-hour inhalation LC50 is greater than 0.7 mg/L in rats. The 4-hour inhalation LC50 is 5.2 mg/L in rats [3,6]. Chronic toxicity: Some 40% of rats receiving oral doses of 20 mg/kg/day for 6 months died with signs of respiratory distress and paralysis of the limbs. Structural and chemical changes in the brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidney, ovaries, and endocrine organs were observed [3,16]. Rats fed 5 or 25 mg/kg/day of atrazine for 6 months exhibited growth retardation. In a 2-year study with dogs, 7.5 mg/kg/day caused decreased food intake and increased heart and liver weights. At 75 mg/kg/day, there were decreases in food intake and body weight gain, increased adrenal weight, lowered blood cell counts, and occasional tremors or stiffness in the rear limbs [3]. Reproductive effects: Dietary doses of atrazine given to rats on days 3, 6 and 9 of gestation up to about 50 mg/kg/day caused no adverse reproductive effects [3]. Teratogenic effects: Atrazine does not appear to be teratogenic. In mice, atrazine did not cause abnormalities in fetuses whose dams were given doses of 46.4 mg/kg/day during days 6 through 14 of gestation [3]. Mutagenic effects: The weight of evidence from more than 50 studies indicates that atrazine is not mutagenic [3]. Carcinogenic effects: Atrazine did not cause tumors when mice were given oral doses of 21.5 mg/kg/day from age 1 to 4 weeks, followed by dietary doses of 82 mg/kg for an additional 17 months. However, mammary tumors were observed in rats after lifetime administration of high doses of atrazine [3]. Thus, available data regarding atrazine's carcinogenic potential are inconclusive. Organ toxicity: Lethal doses of atrazine in test animals have caused congestion and/or hemorrhaging to the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, brain, and heart [3]. Long- term consumption of high levels of atrazine has caused tremors, changes in organ weights, and damage to the liver and heart [3]. Fate in humans and animals: Atrazine is readily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. i very much oppose any use or manufacture or sale of this product. b. sachau 15 elm st florham park nj 07932