Transport of Steroid Hormones, Phytoestrogens, and Estrogenic Activity across a Swine Lagoon/Sprayfield System

Abstract

The inflow, transformation, and attenuation of natural steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, and estrogenic activity was assessed across the lagoon/sprayfield system of a prototypical commercial swine sow operation. Free and conjugated steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progesterone) were detected in urine and feces of sows across reproductive stages, with progesterone being the most abundant steroid hormone. Excreta also contained phytoestrogens indicative of a soy-based diet; particularly daidzein, genistein, and equol. During storage in barn pits and the anaerobic lagoon, conjugated hormones dissipated, and androgens and progesterone were attenuated. Estrone and equol persisted along the waste disposal route. Following application of lagoon slurry to agricultural soils, all analytes exhibited attenuation within 2 days. However, analytes including estrone, androstenedione, progesterone, and equol remained detectable in soil at two months post-application. Estrogenic activity in the yeast estrogen screen and T47D-KBluc in vitro bioassays generally tracked well with analyte concentrations. Estrone found to be the greatest contributor to estrogenic activity across all sample types. This investigation encompasses the most comprehensive suite of natural hormone and phytoestrogen analytes examined to date across a lagoon/sprayfield system, and provides global insight into the fate of these analytes in this widely used waste management system.

Progestins as endocrine disrupters in aquatic ecosystems: Concentrations, effects and risk assessment

“…Fifteen (Bartelt-Hunt et al, 2012) to 28 steroid hormones (Liu et al, 2012a) were measured in at least one runoff sample from cattle farms at levels up to 2470 ng/L. Barn flush and swine farm lagoons in the USA contained relatively high levels of steroid hormones and conjugates including P4 (in urine of sows 2640 ng/L, barn flush 544 ng/L, lagoon 303 ng/L) (Yost et al, 2014). In flush water of Chinese swine farms, P4, medroxyprogesterone and norgestrel occurred up to 3470, 71 and 7080 ng/L, respectively (Liu et al, 2012b).…”

“…During storage of animal waste, concentrations of P4 largely decreased, but were detected in soil even after two months of manure application (Yost et al, 2014). Another study in China showed that farm waste lagoons were not effective in reducing steroids including progestins (Liu et al, 2012a).…”

Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products from wastewater using algae-based technologies: a review

“…Additionally, animal manures are commonly land applied as fertilizers in crop fields. As a consequence, veterinary pharmaceuticals and steroid hormones in manures are transported into the environment and their residues have been detected in soil, surface water and groundwater impacted by animal wastes (Bartelt-Hunt et al 2011;Chen et al 2010;Wei et al 2011;Yost et al 2014).…”

Predicting characteristics of rainfall driven estrogen runoff and transport from swine AFO spray fields

“…Previous studies by our group have found that E1, a potent steroidal estrogen, is the most abundant estrogen species in waste at this field site (Yost et al, 2013, 2014; Lee et al, 2014). Therefore, this study focuses on E1 as a case study to investigate the characteristics of estrogen runoff and transport from AFO spray fields.…”