AbstractAgricultural compounds have been detected in drinking water, some of which are teratogens in animal models. The most commonly detected agricultural com-pounds in drinking water include nitrate, atrazine, and desethylatrazine. Arsenic can also be an agricultural contam-inant, although arsenic often originates fromgeologic sources. Nitrate has been the most studied agricultural compound in
relation to prenatal exposure and birth defects. In several case control studies published since 2000, women giving birth to babies with neural tube defects, oral clefts, and limb deficien-cies were more likely than control mothers to be exposed to higher concentrations of drinking water nitrate during preg-nancy. Higher concentrations of atrazine in drinking water have been associated with abdominal defects, gastroschisis, and other defects. Elevated arsenic in drinking water has also been associated with birth defects. Since these compounds often occur as mixtures, it is suggested that future research focus on the impact of mixtures, such as nitrate and atrazine, on birth defects. Keywords Birth defects.
Drinkingwater.Nitrate.Arsenic. Atrazine. Pesticides