A popular pesticide applied to corn, sorghum, sugarcane, turf, lawns, and other areas has recently come under scrutiny due to its possible connection to serious health risks.
Atrazine is used by farmers, groundskeepers, and landscapers to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds before they emerge. But recent scientific studies have linked atrazine exposure to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a serious cancer that starts in the body’s lymphatic system.
In 2025, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified atrazine as probably carcinogenic to humans. The agency went further to note positive associations between the pesticide and a certain type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
People who were exposed to atrazine and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma are now wondering: were the two connected, and could I be eligible for an atrazine lawsuit?
Chaffin Luhana defective product attorneys are currently investigating cases in which individuals were exposed to atrazine and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma or other serious health complications. If you or a loved one has been affected by the potentially serious side effects of this pesticide, we’d be happy to discuss your case with you.
What Is Atrazine?
Atrazine is an herbicide that belongs to a group of chemicals called triazines. The name comes from the basic chemical shape: a ring made of six atoms, including three nitrogen atoms. The prefix “tri” means three, and “azine” refers to a nitrogen-containing ring structure.
Atrazine is one of several triazine herbicides that kill weeds by disrupting photosynthesis, the process plants use to turn sunlight into energy. (More on that below.)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that atrazine is a chlorinated triazine systemic herbicide used to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Products containing atrazine are registered for use on crops like field corn, sweet corn, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, macadamia nuts, and guava. They are also used on some nursery plants, ornamental plants, and turf.
Atrazine has been a popular herbicide in the United States for decades. Over the years, scientists have discovered that it can enter waterways through runoff from treated fields or lawns. According to the “Handbook of Water Purity and Quality,” triazines have “high contamination potential for groundwater based on their water solubility, soil adsorption coefficient, vapor pressure, field half-life, and the amount of use.”
The authors went on to say, “Atrazine is commonly found in groundwater and as a contaminant of drinking water wells in agricultural regions where it is used.”
These facts—that atrazine has been used for decades, and that it can contaminate waterways—suggest that exposure for some people can be cumulative, as users may handle it frequently, sometimes for years, and non-users may be exposed through other avenues over a long period.
How Does Atrazine Work?
Atrazine works by stopping certain plants from making food through photosynthesis.
In simple terms, photosynthesis is the process plants use to survive. They take in sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air, then turn that into a type of sugar that gives them energy to grow. As part of that process, they release oxygen back into the air.
Atrazine is sprayed on the plants and absorbed, where it attacks from the inside. There, it binds to a protein in the plant’s chloroplasts. These are little “solar factories” inside the plant, and they contain a system called Photosystem II. This system helps the plant catch sunlight and turn it into usable energy.
Normally, Photosystem II moves tiny charged particles called electrons from one place to another. That electron movement helps the plant make two energy tools:
1) ATP, which works like a short-term battery
2) NADPH, which helps carry energy so the plant can make sugar.
Atrazine attaches to a protein inside Photosystem II and blocks the normal movement of electrons. The plant’s energy-making chain is jammed, and it withers and dies.
Who Manufacturers Atrazine?
Atrazine was first developed in 1958 by scientists working in the Geigy laboratories in Switzerland. Geigy later merged with CIBA to become Ciba-Geigy. In 1996, Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz to form Novartis. Then in 2000, Novartis combined its crop protection business with Zeneca Agrochemicals to form Syngenta, which manufactures atrazine today.
Syngenta is based in Basel, Switzerland, and is owned by the Chinese enterprise Sinochem. Syngenta controls the majority of the atrazine market, but atrazine is also manufactured and distributed by other chemical and agricultural companies around the world, including Corteva Agriscience and Drexel Chemical Company. These and other companies may sell atrazine under different product names, including generic herbicide products.
Currently, atrazine is one of the most extensively used herbicides in the U.S., with average annual use over 70 million pounds, mainly for corn and sorghum, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Scientists Examine Health Risks of Atrazine
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer that begins in white blood cells called lymphocytes. These cells are part of the immune system.
Scientists have looked into atrazine’s possible effects on human health, including any connections to cancer. Some studies have found increased risks, while others have found mixed results. But this is common when it comes to cancer research because people are exposed to many chemicals every day, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exposure to just one chemical years later.
Even with those limitations, the concern about this pesticide’s potential to increase the risk of cancer has grown, as noted by the IARC’s classification in 2025. The agency stated its decision was based on limited evidence for cancer in humans, enough evidence in animals, and evidence of a strong mechanism of action in laboratory studies. Specifically, there were positive associations between atrazine and a specific subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, identified by a certain DNA/chromosome change (t[14;18]).
This doesn’t mean that every person exposed to atrazine will develop cancer, but it does mean the cancer risk is serious enough that the public deserves clear warnings and honest information.
What is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system, in turn, is part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection and disease.
The National Cancer Institute explains that non-Hodgkin lymphoma develops when cancer cells form in the lymphatic system. NHL can be slow- or fast-growing, and though it often starts in the lymph nodes, it can spread to the spleen, bone marrow, blood, digestive tract, skin, or other parts of the body.
Common symptoms of NHL may include:
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, groin, or stomach
- Fever with no clear cause
- Drenching night sweats
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss without trying
- Skin rash or itchy skin
- Pain in the chest, belly, or bones
What Causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Scientists aren’t yet certain what exactly causes NHL. For some reason, changes happen inside the body’s cells, and these changes make cells grow when they shouldn’t.
Researchers have identified several risk factors, however. These include the following:
- Family history of NHL
- Older age
- Weakened immune system
- Autoimmune disease
- Certain infections
- Radiation exposure
- Exposure to certain chemicals and drugs
According to the American Cancer Society, some studies suggest exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides may be linked to an increased risk of NHL, though more research is needed.
Atrazine is one of the herbicides scientists have studied in relation to NHL. This is why farmers, farm workers, pesticide applicators, groundskeepers, and others who have used or worked around the pesticide may have questions for an atrazine lawyer after a lymphoma diagnosis.
How Are People Exposed to Atrazine?
A person may be exposed to atrazine in several ways. The highest risks are typically tied to work, especially those jobs that require mixing, loading, spraying, or cleaning up pesticide products.
Possible exposure routes include:
- Breathing in atrazine spray, mist, dust, or vapors while applying the product
- Getting atrazine on the skin while mixing, loading, spraying, or cleaning equipment
- Touching treated plants, soil, clothing, gloves, boots, or tools
- Living near fields, golf courses, or turf areas where atrazine was sprayed
- Drinking water that may have been affected by runoff from treated areas
For an atrazine lawsuit, it’s often important to know the history of exposure. An atrazine lawyer will often look at how long the person used atrazine, how often they used it, what job they had, what products were used, whether protective gear was available, and when the cancer was diagnosed.
The groups most at risk for atrazine-related health problems are:
- Farmers and agricultural workers who apply atrazine to crops. They are in direct contact with the herbicide during mixing and spraying, and can be exposed through inhalation and skin contact.
- Pesticide applicators who apply atrazine professionally, whether in agriculture or landscaping, golf course maintenance, or roadside management.
- Rural families who live near farms where atrazine is used and who get their drinking water from private wells or municipal water systems that draw from atrazine-contaminated sources.
- Factory workers employed in facilities that manufacture atrazine.
Atrazine and Water Contamination
In October 2003, the European Union (EU) announced a ban on atrazine because of “ubiquitous and unpreventable water contamination,” according to the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. The authors noted that while the U.S. EPA allowed atrazine to remain on the market, the EU moved in the opposite direction because regulators were concerned that atrazine could not be reliably kept out of groundwater.
Meanwhile, Atrazine has been widely found in U.S. water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that atrazine was among the herbicides most often detected in streams in agricultural areas, especially in the Corn Belt (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and parts of adjoining states) and Mississippi River Valley, where atrazine use has been highest. USGS has also described atrazine as one of the most widely used and widely detected pesticides in U.S. surface water.
Groundwater has been affected too. In one USGS report, atrazine was the pesticide most frequently detected in groundwater in the studies reviewed. It was also commonly found with one of its breakdown products, called DEA, which forms after atrazine starts to break down in the environment. (Groundwater is an important source of drinking water for many homes and communities.)
The concern is that atrazine, after it’s sprayed on fields, can migrate to nearby ditches, streams, rivers, and reservoirs. It can also move down through the soil and reach the groundwater.
The EPA has monitored atrazine in drinking-water systems through its Atrazine Monitoring Program. According to the agency, most samples in that program were below 1 part per billion, and the highest measured level was below the EPA’s drinking-water level of concern. The agency later discontinued the special monitoring requirement as part of its 2020 atrazine interim decision.
Nevertheless, the EPA has continued to take steps aimed at reducing atrazine contamination in waterways. On October 7, 2025, it released a draft biological opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressing atrazine and another similar pesticide, simazine. The EPA stated it was working with FWS and pesticide registrants on label changes and mitigation steps aimed at reducing spray drift, runoff, and erosion. The final opinions were scheduled to be finished by March 31, 2026.
The IARC has also noted that the general population may be exposed to atrazine mainly through drinking water and food. The agency further noted that increased exposure through drinking water has been shown in areas contaminated by agricultural atrazine use.
The EPA has stated that atrazine is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” but it has still recognized exposure concerns. In addition, it has identified potential risks for children who crawl and play on lawns treated with atrazine and for workers who mix, load, and apply the pesticide.
How Atrazine May Be Connected to Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Researchers are still studying how atrazine may be linked to NHL. The science is not as simple as “one exposure equals cancer.” Cancer usually develops after a series of changes in the body over time.
There are, however, several pathways of concern.
Atrazine and the Immune System
For example, atrazine may affect the immune system. Since NHL starts in white blood cells, which are part of the immune system, that’s important. Animal studies suggest that the immune system may be a target of atrazine toxicity. Laboratory research also showed that atrazine exposure can inhibit the activation and growth of CD4+ T-cells, which are important immune cells.
Atrazine and Oxidative Stress
Some studies also suggest that atrazine may contribute to oxidative stress. This is a destructive process that happens when harmful free radicals build up in the body and damage cells. In some experimental studies, atrazine exposure was linked to cell stress and DNA damage, though results vary depending on the type of study, the dose, and the formulation tested.
Atrazine as a Hormone-Disruptor
Atrazine is also a known hormone disruptor, meaning that it can interfere with the body’s natural hormone signaling. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states that atrazine’s most sensitive toxicity target in animals is the reproductive system, with animal studies showing changes in hormone-related reproductive cycles. The EPA has also described atrazine as affecting the endocrine (hormonal) system in humans and animals. Since hormones help control how cells grow and divide, hormone disruption is another area of possible concern.
Atrazine and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
As noted above, scientists have looked at atrazine and a specific subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called t(14; 18)-positive NHL. In this subtype, parts of chromosomes 14 and 18 switch places. This change can affect a gene called BCL2, which helps abnormal lymphocytes survive when they should normally die.
Earlier studies have also looked at exposure to agricultural pesticides and this particular type of NHL. One published in Epidemiology examined agricultural risk factors for it, while another found that pesticide use was associated with t(14; 18)-positive NHL, but not t(14; 18)-negative NHL.
Essentially, researchers are concerned that exposure to atrazine may affect the body in several ways that could lead to the development of lymphoma.
Case Studies and Research Link Atrazine Use to Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Much of the evidence for this connection comes from case-control studies and large reviews. These compare people who have NHL with people who don’t, and then look back at their pesticide exposure.
In 1993, scientists published a study that looked at atrazine and NHL in three case-control studies from four Midwestern states. The combined results showed an odds ratio of 1.4 for NHL among farmers who used atrazine. The authors noted that other pesticide exposures made the connection harder to separate, which is one reason the atrazine evidence has been debated.
A federal toxicology review from the ATSDR reviewed several studies on atrazine and cancer. Researchers found that the overall evidence showed a slightly increased risk of NHL among farmers exposed to atrazine.
Scientists have also studied drinking water exposure. One Nebraska study looked at atrazine and nitrate in public drinking water supplies and NHL risk. They found no association with atrazine or nitrate alone, but did report concerns when both were present together.
Atrazine Cancer Lawsuit Investigation: Important Studies
Several other studies and reviews are proving important in the atrazine cancer lawsuit investigation.
The 1993 study mentioned above remains one of the most cited on atrazine and NHL. A 2011 Agricultural Health Study update also looked at cancer incidence among pesticide applicators exposed to atrazine. This was a “cohort” study, which means researchers followed a large group of people over time and watched what happened to their health. That study failed to find “consistent evidence” of an association between atrazine use and cancer, though there was a “suggested increase” of thyroid cancer.
A 2024 population-based study looked at county-level pesticide use patterns across the U.S. and found that in agricultural areas, pesticide use was associated with increased rates of several cancers, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. The study included atrazine among the 69 pesticides analyzed and found that atrazine was a top contributor in regions with high added risk for all cancers and colon cancer.
Earlier studies had found weak links between atrazine and NHL, but this longer follow-up study had more mixed results. So while pesticide companies may point to mixed studies to argue that the risk is unclear, injured people can point to the full body of evidence, including newer reviews and the IARC’s 2025 classification.
Is Atrazine Only One Risk Factor?
It’s true that NHL can have more than one possible risk factor. Age, immune system problems, infections, family history, and other chemical exposure may all play a role.
That doesn’t mean that the atrazine exposure should be ignored or ruled out, though. In toxic exposure cases, the question is often whether a product or chemical was a substantial factor in causing or contributing to the disease. Experienced atrazine lawyers bring in scientific experts to look at the research, the person’s exposure history, the timing of the illness, and other possible causes when creating a case.
This is also why it’s important not to try to decide on your own whether you’re eligible for an atrazine lawsuit. A law firm investigating atrazine exposure lymphoma cases can review the facts and help you determine whether you should pursue a claim.
Types of Personal Injuries Possible with Atrazine
The main injury currently being investigated in atrazine lawsuits is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Some research and toxicology reviews have also raised concerns about other health effects , though the legal focus may vary depending on the case.
Possible injuries or health concerns include:
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Certain lymphoma subtypes, including B-cell lymphomas
- Neurological effects—some animal and laboratory studies suggest atrazine may affect the brain and nervous system
- Possible increased risk of some other cancers, such as prostate, breast, or ovarian cancer, based on evidence showing weak associations, though the results are mixed
- Hormone or endocrine disruption
- Reproductive effects—some studies have linked atrazine with pregnancy and birth outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm delivery, small-for-gestational-age birth, and gastroschisis, a birth defect where a baby is born with intestines outside the body
- Wrongful death when a person dies from atrazine lymphoma or related complications
Not every injury will qualify for an atrazine lawsuit. The strongest current focus is on people with significant atrazine exposure who were later diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Can Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Be Treated?
NHL can often be treated, but the treatment depends on the exact type of lymphoma, how fast it’s growing, how far it’s spread, and the patient’s overall health. Common treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplants.
As noted above, the IARC reported positive associations between atrazine exposure and a specific type of NHL called t(14; 18)-positive NHL. But this subtype isn’t one single cancer. It means the chromosomes have switched places, and that affects the BCL2 gene. Some t(14; 18)-positive lymphomas are slower-growing, which means doctors may sometimes monitor the patient before starting treatment if the cancer isn’t causing problems right away. Other t(14; 18)-positive types, however, are more aggressive and will need treatment sooner.
Even when treatment works, NHL is still hard on patients and their families. Treatment may involve months of doctor visits, scans, blood tests, side effects, missed work, and long-term follow-up care. Some patients may also face relapse, meaning the cancer comes back. So, while NHL can often be treated, it is still a serious disease that can change nearly every part of a person’s life.
Atrazine Lawsuits Against the Manufacturers
Atrazine lawsuits are not new. For years, Syngenta and related companies have faced lawsuits and public scrutiny over atrazine contamination in drinking water, specifically. Back in 2010, plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Syngenta AG and its U.S. subsidiary reached a $105 million settlement to resolve claims that atrazine had contaminated drinking water. Syngenta denied wrongdoing and has continued to maintain that atrazine is safe when used as directed.
More recently, however, lawyers have started investigating whether people who were exposed to atrazine and later developed NHL may have personal injury claims. These claims are likely to allege that manufacturers failed to properly warn users about the possible link between atrazine exposure and NHL.
In response to the IARC’s 2025 classification of atrazine as a probable human carcinogen, Syngenta released a statement saying, in part, “IARC’s classification did not establish a causal link between atrazine exposure and an increase in cancer risk.” The company added that the EPA concluded in 2018 that “the totality of the available evidence does not support an association between atrazine exposure and human cancer.”
Indeed, Syngenta has strongly defended the pesticide for years. Documents unsealed in earlier atrazine litigation reportedly showed that the company worked to shape public discussion about atrazine and its safety.
The Center for Media and Democracy’s SourceWatch project created an “Atrazine Exposed” portal based on documents it said were obtained from court records. According to SourceWatch, those documents showed that Syngenta’s public relations team investigated members of the press and spent millions of dollars trying to influence news coverage and public views about atrazine while concerns were growing about the weed killer’s possible health risks.
SourceWatch also reported that the documents showed that the company was involved in efforts aimed at the media, potential jurors, potential plaintiffs, farmers, politicians, scientists, and the EPA. This type of history could be important in future atrazine lymphoma lawsuits because plaintiffs may argue that the manufacturers knew about the safety concerns related to atrazine for years, but instead of taking steps to protect the public, they put their energy into protecting their reputation.
Chaffin Luhana Investigates Atrazine
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cases
The atrazine non-Hodgkin lymphoma attorneys at Chaffin Luhana are currently investigating cases involving people who were exposed to atrazine and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
These cases may involve farmers, pesticide applicators, farm workers, groundskeepers, landscapers, golf course workers, or others who handled atrazine or worked near areas where it was sprayed. Some family members may also have been exposed through contaminated clothing, equipment, or nearby fields.
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after atrazine exposure, contact one of our personal injury lawyers today. We are passionate advocates for people who were harmed by products that should have carried better warnings. We stand ready to assist you in pursuing fair compensation for your injuries to the fullest extent allowed under the law.
Call us today at 888-480-1123 to learn more about your legal options.