In a recent USA TODAY article, reporter Liz Szabo investigates claims of researcher Tyrone Hayes.  Hayes says that an herbicide found in tap water consumed by millions of Americans “has been found to produce gender-bending effects in male frogs, ‘chemically castrating’ some and turning others into females.”

Hayes, a lead researcher at the University of California-Berkeley, exposed the frogs in his study to similar amounts of atrazine (weed killer) as allowed by the EPA in drinking water.  His study shows that atrazine actually changed the gender of the frogs – making some males able to breed and lay eggs as if they were females.  Even the male frogs that did not possess these female qualities had very low testosterone and sperm levels and most were unable to reproduce.

Szabo also quotes those who reject Hayes’ study like Tim Pastoor, principal scientist for Syngenta Crop Protection (a manufacturer of atrazine) who says, “[the] chemical is safe” and that “company-sponsored studies that met rigorous EPA standards found [it] has no effect on frog sexual development.”

Hayes was not able to prove if atrazine would have the same effect on humans, but many feel it should be phased out of tap water as a precaution.  Good idea, since Szabo points out that other studies link the chemical to “birth defects, low birth weight, prematurity and low sperm count.”

What does this all mean for the automotive aftermarket? It’s a wake-up call to shops, making them more aware of what they’re putting into the water system.

With all the hype about switching to waterborne paint, take a step back and make sure it’s the right choice for your shop. The costs of converting can be high; therefore,  be sure you are able to handle the costs of proper recycling of the paint/waste materials, training technicians, converting booths, fans and sprayers, purchasing the product, along with other miscellaneous expenses that come with the conversion . Know your facts and do your research before converting. There are other, non-water, complaint and less expensive paint systems in the market.  In today’s business world, customers not only care about the quality of the product you offer, but about how environmentally friendly your company is as well.

Click here to read the full USA TODAY article.