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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181340
Title: IN SITU SUBSURFACE SOIL STUDIES ON THE OCCURRENCE, PERSISTENCE, AND PATHWAYS OF 17BETA-ESTRADIOL.

Author
item THOMPSON, MICHAEL - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item CASEY, FRANCIS - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item FAN, ZHAOSHENG - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item Hakk, Heldur
item Larsen, Gerald

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2005
Publication Date: 11/6/2005
Citation: Thompson, M.L., Casey, F.X., Fan, Z., Hakk, H., Larsen, G.L. 2005. In situ subsurface soil studies on the occurrence, persistence, and pathways of 17beta-estradiol. Meeting Abstract. 2005 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, UT, Nov. 6-10, 2005.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Hormones, such as 17beta-estradiol (E2), have the potential of causing widespread physiological and reproductive disorders in numerous species due to their potency and presence in the environment. The occurrence of E2 in the unsaturated zone (0.60 m depth) was determined with wick lysimeters and compared with water flux rates and the transport of known tracers at a hog (Sus scrofa domesticus) farm. Also, a reconnaissance of subsurface water was done at this farmstead using strategically placed wells and lysimeters. Lysimeter plot studies were used to develop water balances; identify the transport of conservative, non-sorbing tracers; and to identify the occurrence of E2 in subsurface water under corn-cropped soil that had swine manure mixtures applied. These lysimeter plot experiments were also compared to laboratory experiment results on the fate and transport of E2, and compared with E2 measurements from the farmstead reconnaissance. In the first year of this study, the lysimeters collected 50% – 100% of expected percolation per plot, and also 1–12% of pentafluorobenzoic acid tracer was collected. Significant concentrations of E2 (128 ng L-1) were found in the first lysimeter sample set and E2 continued to leach in variable amounts throughout the season. The highest cumulative mass of E2 was recovered in the control plot, which had no manure applied. Results indicated that it was likely that E2 was antecedently present at high concentrations in the soil. Also, the results suggested that manures had some influence on the persistence of E2 in the test plots.