Persistence and migration of manure-derived solutes in soil water underlying an agricultural watershed: 17β-Estradiol, As, and nutrients

摘要

The application of manure to agricultural fields results in the release of nutrient solutes as well as contaminants of concern, including As and estrogen compounds. Although there is significant concern over possible health effects in humans and wildlife exposed to As and 17β-estradiol (E2), relatively little is known about their fate and persistence in the agricultural watersheds. Six months after manure application, we sampled soil water from pan lysimeters installed at 15, 46, and 91 cm depth in a cornfield and in a cattle pasture. E2 ranged from 0.03 to 0.45 ng/mL; concentrations decreased systematically with depth, and patterns were dissimilar to those for all other solute concentrations. As ranged from below detection to 15 μg/L; concentrations were highest at mid-depth in the soil profile, and patterns exactly mimicked those for dissolved Fe concentrations. Although E2 is subject to biodegradation and organoarsenic is subject to both biodegradation and adsorption in the soil, clearly both persist as solutes capable of further migration into water supplies many months after introduction at the land surface.