Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012ND258B

Quantifying Estrogens Bound to Soil and Manure Colloids and Assessing Their Bioavailability

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,000

Principal Investigators: Francis Casey

Project Summary: The natural estrogen, 17Estradiol (E2), is the most potent endocrine disrupting compound. The issue of reproductive hormones in the environment is of particular relevance to animal agricultural because of the association of hormone detections with manure management practices. Natural hormone concentrations have been detected in runoff and receiving surface waters as a result of field manure application. Reproductive hormones have also been measured in subsurface waters in proximity to intensive livestock production. Widespread E2 detections throughout the soil profile and shallow groundwater in fields in and around a swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) farm has been found in western North Dakota. The objectives of this proposed project are the following: (i) Evaluate the association of radiolabeled estradiol with both the Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colloidal organic carbon (COC) fraction derived from liquid swine manure, soil and liquid swine manure applied to soil (ii) Simulate rainfall events to investigate the dislodgment of radiolabeled estradiol from the COC fraction (iii) Evaluate the estrogen potency of estradiol bound to the DOC/COC, DOC and COC fraction using estrogen receptor competitive assays.