Baby Safety / Compounds / Simazine

Is Simazine safe for babies and kids?

High risk for kids

Infants face elevated risk from Simazine through dietary residues and environmental drift. Developing organ systems and immature detoxification capacity increase vulnerability.

What is simazine?

The IUPAC name is 6-chloro-2-N,4-N-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine.

Also known as: 6-chloro-2-N,4-N-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, Gesatop, Princep, Simanex.

IUPAC name
6-chloro-2-N,4-N-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine
CAS number
122-34-9
Molecular formula
C7H12ClN5
Molecular weight
201.66 g/mol
SMILES
CCNC1=NC(NCC)=NC(Cl)=N1
PubChem CID
5216

Risk for babies

High risk

Infants face elevated risk from Simazine through dietary residues and environmental drift. Developing organ systems and immature detoxification capacity increase vulnerability.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Elevated risk

Prenatal exposure to Simazine is a concern due to potential endocrine disruption and developmental toxicity. Agricultural communities show higher gestational exposure through drinking water.

Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Simazine. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic in Humans
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: None, 1 positive / 5 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: None, 1 positive / 5 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter simazine

  • Agricultural Products — Treated grains and legumes, Crop residues
  • Drinking Water — Municipal water supplies in agricultural regions

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Simazine:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is simazine safe for kids?

Infants face elevated risk from Simazine through dietary residues and environmental drift. Developing organ systems and immature detoxification capacity increase vulnerability.

What products contain simazine?

Simazine appears in: Treated grains and legumes (Agricultural products); Crop residues (Agricultural products); Municipal water supplies in agricultural regions (Drinking water).

What should I do if my child is exposed to simazine?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about simazine?

Simazine has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / EPA OPP, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Simazine in the baby app

Look up products containing simazine, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 5216 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID4021268 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 122-34-9 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →