Premium
Effect of Composting on the Fate of Steroids in Beef Cattle Manure
Author(s) -
BarteltHunt Shan L.,
DeVivo Shan,
Johnson Leslie,
Snow Daniel D.,
Kranz William L.,
Mader Terry L.,
Shapiro Charles A.,
Donk Simon J.,
Shelton David P.,
Tarkalson David D.,
Zhang Tian C.
Publication year - 2013
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/jeq2013.01.0024
Subject(s) - manure , compost , steroid , beef cattle , chemistry , hormone , metabolite , androsterone , estrone , androstenedione , zoology , agronomy , biology , biochemistry , androgen
In this study, the fate of steroid hormones in beef cattle manure composting is evaluated. The fate of 16 steroids and metabolites was evaluated in composted manure from beef cattle administered growth promotants and from beef cattle with no steroid hormone implants. The fate of estrogens (primary detected as estrone), androgens, progesterone, and the fusarium metabolite and implant α‐zearalanol was monitored in manure compost piles. First‐order decay rates were calculated for steroid half‐lives in compost and ranged from 8 d for androsterone to 69 d for 4‐androstenedione. Other steroid concentration data could not be fit to first‐order decay models, which may indicate that microbial processes may result in steroid production or synthesis in composting systems. We demonstrate that composting is an effective strategy to remove steroid hormones from manure. Total steroid hormone removal in composted beef cattle manure ranged from 79 to 87%.