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Title: TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS OF 17-BETA ESTRADIOL AND TESTOSTERONE IN NO-TILL AND CONVENTIONALLY TILLED GEORGIA PIEDMONT SOIL

Author
item SANGSUPAN, H - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item RADCLIFFE, D - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Jenkins, Michael
item HARTEL, P - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item VENCILL, W - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item CABRERA, M - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2003
Publication Date: 11/4/2003
Citation: Sangsupan, H.A., Radcliffe, D.E., Jenkins, M., Hartel, P.G., Vencill, W.K., Cabrera, M.L. 2003. Transport characteristics of 17-beta estradiol and testosterone in no-till and conventionally tilled georgia piedmont soil. American Society of Agronomy Abstracts. 511-sangsupan283279-poster.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Land applied poultry litter contains appreciable amounts of the naturally occurring sex hormones estradiol and testosterone. These hormones may be transported through soil to groundwater and streams where they pose a potential health threat to humans and wildlife. The objective of this study was to determine the sorption and transport characteristics of estradiol and testosterone under no-till and conventional tillage. Batch isotherm experiments indicated non-linear adsorption for both estradiol and testosterone. Tillage had no significant effect on the sorption coefficient (Kd) nor the retardation factor (R). Average effective linear adsorption, R, for estradiol was 194 and 142 for the 0 ' 10 and 20 ' 30 cm soil depths respectively. The average R for testosterone was 151 and 78 for the 0 ' 10 and 20 ' 30 cm soil depths respectively. Kinetic experiments indicated that maximum sorption of both estradiol and testosterone occurred after approximately 24 hours. Intact soil column experiments resulted in detectable concentrations of both estradiol and testosterone leaching from columns via preferential flow. Transport parameters were fitted to the column breakthrough curves using HYDRUN-1D. The sorption and transport experiments indicated that while retardation coefficients for both hormones were high, movement does occur when there is preferential flow through soil.