Public Civil Action on atrazine contamination in the Rio Dourados basin, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul
According to the official Public Civil Action filed by the Federal Prosecution Service (MPF) before the Federal Court in Dourados/State of Mato Grosso do Sul on November 18th of 2025, Prosecutor Marco Antonio Delfino de Almeida seeks to hold 29 agribusiness companies that manufacture, formulate, import and/or trade atrazine-based pesticides, as well as the Federal Environmental Agency Ibama, jointly liable for serious and persistent environmental damage caused by contamination of soils and water resources in the Rio Dourados Hydrographic Basin and in water sources used by Guarani Kaiowá Indigenous communities.
Based on Embrapa monitoring data from 2019–2021 and expert reports produced for the case, the petition describes atrazine as a highly persistent herbicide and endocrine disruptor, banned or under phase-out in 44 countries including the European Union and Switzerland, and documents that atrazine or its degradation products (DEA and 2-hydroxyatrazine) were detected in most river samples and in tap water, shallow wells, streams and even rainwater in the affected territories.
The MPF characterizes this as diffuse, chronic contamination incompatible with the constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment, rejects the industry narrative of “safe use” and, invoking the “polluter-pays” principle, asks the court to order the defendants to finance and implement a comprehensive decontamination plan, fully repair the environmental damage and pay monetary compensation for irreversible impacts, while Ibama must answer for alleged omissions in environmental monitoring and risk control of atrazine in Brazil.
There are more than 80 atrazine formulated product registrations in Brazil.
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DEFENDANT |
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Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources – IBAMA |
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Ouro Fino Química S.A. |
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Nortox S.A. |
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Zhongshan Química do Brasil Ltda. |
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Globachem Proteção de Cultivos do Brasil Ltda. |
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Rainbow Defensivos Agrícolas Ltda. |
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Jubailireg Brasil Ltda. |
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Adama Brasil S.A. |
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Agro Import do Brasil Ltda. |
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CCAB Agro S.A. |
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Ameribrás Indústria e Comércio Ltda. |
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CHDS do Brasil Comércio de Insumos Agrícolas Ltda. |
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Sharda do Brasil Comércio de Produtos Químicos e Agroquímicos Ltda. |
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Crotect Crop Science Ltda. |
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Lemma Agronegócios Importação e Exportação Ltda. |
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Perterra Insumos Agropecuários S.A. |
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Solus do Brasil Ltda. |
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Pilarquim BR Comercial Ltda. |
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Tudo Rural Agronegócios do Brasil Ltda. |
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Syngenta Proteção de Cultivos Ltda. |
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ALTA – America Latina Ltda. |
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Oxon Brasil Defensivos Agrícolas Ltda. |
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Iharabras S.A. Indústrias Químicas |
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Amaggi Exportação e Importação Ltda. |
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Cropchem Ltda. |
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Nutrien Soluções Agrícolas Ltda. |
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Agrolimuda do Brasil Ltda. |
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ISK Biosciences do Brasil Defensivos Agrícolas Ltda. |
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Albaugh Agro Brasil Ltda. |
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Willowood Agriscience Representação Comercial Ltda. |
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