Grantee Research Project Results
Fate of Hormones in Tile-Drained Fields and Impact to Aquatic Organisms Under Different Animal Waste Land-Application Practices
EPA Grant Number: R833417Title: Fate of Hormones in Tile-Drained Fields and Impact to Aquatic Organisms Under Different Animal Waste Land-Application Practices
Investigators: Lee, Linda S. , Turco, Ronald F. , Sepulveda, Marisol S. , Jafvert, Chad T.
Institution: Purdue University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: April 16, 2007 through April 15, 2011
Project Amount: $700,000
RFA: Fate and Effects of Hormones in Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS) (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Human Health , Safer Chemicals
Objective:
(1) Assess the relative amount of hormones discharged from tile-drained agricultural fields under different manure and lagoon effluent applications; (2) Assess hormone persistence in fields under these application practices; and (3) Evaluate the impacts of these hormone loads (relevant levels and mixtures) on aquatic organisms. We hypothesize that (1) tile drain discharge of manure-borne hormones to receiving waters will be primarily in the first rain events after land-application; (2) hormone degradation in manure- or effluent-amended soils will be rapid compared to persistence in typical anaerobic storage conditions (e.g., manure pit, lagoon), but may be measurably slower when subsurface injected compared to surface applied; and (3) under certain management and environmental conditions, mixtures of synthetic and natural hormones released from animal wastes can be sufficient and persistent enough in aquatic systems to induce irreversible gonadal changes in sensitive life-stages of fish that will persist in adult stages resulting in altered reproduction and population-level effects.
Approach:
Field monitoring studies will be conducted to evaluate hormone discharges within in-line tile drain or stream collection and monitoring systems associated with agricultural fields receiving animal wastes. Natural and synthetic hormones and their primary metabolites will be measured in manure and effluent being land-applied and in field soils over time. Sexual differentiation and reproduction effects will be evaluated by exposing early life-stages of fish to hormones in controlled laboratory microcosms paired with field studies examining similar endpoints in native populations of fish in streams down gradient from CAFOs and in turtles inhabiting manure retention lagoons. Population-level effects due to hormone exposure will be estimated by fitting a population-matrix model to measured survival and fecundity parameters.
Expected Results:
Information obtained will help determine the relationship among different management practices (aerial spraying, subsurface injection, and solid broadcasting) on hormone discharges to aquatic bodies from primarily tile drains. The ecologically-relevant toxicity data generated will be valuable for future risk assessment of aquatic organisms exposed to mixtures of natural and synthetic hormones. The proposed studies will measure population significant endpoints and use relevant lengths, routes, and doses of exposure, which will increase the relevance of the data, and thus, its usefulness in the development of management practices and/or regulations.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 49 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 14 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
endocrine disrupting chemicals, ecological effects, aquatic indicators, fish gonadal changes, sex differentiation, ecosystem health risks, manure, effluent irrigation, subsurface injection, broadcasting, androgens, estrogens, trenbolone, trendione, testosterone, estradiol, estrone, estriol, degradation, discharge, chemical transport, soil,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Environmental Chemistry, Endocrine Disruptors - Environmental Exposure & Risk, endocrine disruptors, Endocrine Disruptors - Human Health, CAFOs, EDCs, endocrine disrupting chemicals, animal feeding operations, concentrated animal feeding operationsProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.