The thyroid toxicity of atrazine and its potential mechanisms: a review

Atrazine (ATR) is a globally used herbicide with a long environmental half-life, resulting in its widespread persistence in various environmental media. ATR has been recognized as an environmental endocrine disruptor. The thyroid gland, the largest endocrine organ in the human body, regulates essential physiological processes, including metabolism, growth, and development, through the secretion of thyroid hormones. Accumulating evidence indicates that ATR can adversely affect thyroid function through multiple pathways, including disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, interference with thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism, and induction of oxidative stress. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the effects of ATR on thyroid morphology and function, as well as its potential toxicological mechanisms. It also seeks to provide references for a deeper understanding of ATR-induced thyroid toxicity and to offer a scientific basis for the development of relevant risk assessment and prevention strategies.