Premium
17 β‐Estradiol as an Indicator of Animal Waste Contamination in Mantled Karst Aquifers
Author(s) -
Peterson E. W.,
Davis R. K.,
Orndorff H. A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2000.00472425002900030019x
Subject(s) - karst , groundwater recharge , aquifer , contamination , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , fecal coliform , groundwater , spring (device) , environmental chemistry , water quality , geology , ecology , biology , chemistry , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , engineering , mechanical engineering
The poultry and cattle industries comprise a large segment of the agricultural economy in the mantled karst area of northwest Arkansas. The associated risks of nutrient and bacterial contamination to karst aquifers by poultry litter have been well documented. However, only recently have the risks associated with hormones, specifically 17 β‐estradiol (E 2 ), been addressed. During a winter recharge event, five springs in northwest Arkansas were sampled and the waters were analyzed for E 2 , fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli . Analyses of the waters from five springs representing three different water‐bearing formations revealed that E 2 is present in the waters. Concentrations of E 2 ranged from 6 to 66 ng/L. The observed E 2 concentration trends imitated the changes in stage over the recharge event. The E 2 concentration trends were similar to the concentration trends of both fecal coliform and E. coli at all five springs, indicating that the three components move in the mantled karst system similarly.