Effect of rainfall timing and tillage on the transport of steroid hormones in runoff from manure amended row crop fields

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t s• Hormones and metabolites were detected in runoff from test plots fertilized with cattle manure.• Composting can reduce the hormone concentration in manure compared to stockpiling.• About 10% of applied hormones can be lost through the dissolved phase of runoff. a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c tRunoff generated from livestock manure amended row crop fields is one of the major pathways of hormone transport to the aquatic environment. The study determined the effects of manure handling, tillage methods, and rainfall timing on the occurrence and transport of steroid hormones in runoff from the row crop field. Stockpiled and composted manure from hormone treated and untreated animals were applied to test plots and subjected to two rainfall simulation events 30 days apart. During the two rainfall simulation events, detection of any steroid hormone or metabolites was identified in 8-86% of runoff samples from any tillage and manure treatment. The most commonly detected hormones were 17␤-estradiol, estrone, estriol, testosterone, and ␣-zearalenol at concentrations ranging up to 100-200 ng L −1 . Considering the maximum detected concentrations in runoff, no more than 10% of the applied hormone can be transported through the dissolved phase of runoff. Results from the study indicate that hormones can persist in soils receiving livestock manure over an extended period of time and the dissolved phase of hormone in runoff is not the preferred pathway of transport from the manure applied fields irrespective of tillage treatments and timing of rainfall.

Productivity-Enhancing Technologies. Can Consumer Choices Affect the Environmental Footprint of Beef?

“…It is likely that the shifted sex effect reported by Jeffries et al [89] in male fish collected from these rivers could have been significantly influenced by hormones released from other sources, including crop production and municipal wastewater treatment plants [93]. For example, at detectable concentrations, contaminants from Fusarium-infected grains such as corn, barley, and other small grain crops can contribute to zearalenone concentrations in manure and surface run off [94,95]. Globally, municipal wastewater treatment is arguably the principal source of hormones that are released into the environment, as beef-producing countries that do not use PETs have also reported effects of hormones on aquatic biodiversity [96,97].…”

“…Researchers have shown that composting and stockpiling cattle manure can reduce endogenous hormones in manure. Using composting and stockpiling, a study in the US reported no significant difference in the concentrations of TBA, E, Z, and MGA (average, 19.0 ng/g of dry weight) in manure from cattle that did or did not receive these additives [94]. This group also showed that composting (12.3 ng/g of dry weight) is more effective than stockpiling (25.7 ng/g of dry weight) at reducing hormone concentration in surface water run-off from the feedlot.…”

Biophysical characteristics of Wosi Watershed area in Manokwari Regency, Indonesia

“…High intensity of rainfall can threaten water quality, causing landslides, sedimentation, and even flooding (Vannier 2016). According to Biswas et al (2017), the distribution and amount of rainfall greatly affect the occurrence of floods. Rainwater that reaches the ground can become surface runoff and infiltrates the ground (Asdak 2010;Ngongondo et al 2011;Zhang et al 2017).…”

Effectiveness of chelating agent–assisted Fenton-like processes on remediation of glucocorticoid-contaminated soil using chemical and biological assessment: performance comparison of CaO2 and H2O2

“…Piram et al (2008) even found higher concentrations of FA in effluents compared to influents of a WWTP attributing to GC conjugate hydrolysis. Therefore, these GCs can be released into the soil through untreated wastewater, WWTP effluents, waste activated sludge, pharmaceutical residues, and animal manures (Abdellah et al 2020), causing soils to become significant reservoirs for GCs (Shargil et al 2016). To make matters worse, the GCs accumulated in soil may enter the food chain (Shargil et al 2016).…”