Influence of poultry litter land application on the concentrations of estrogens in water and sediment within a watershed

Abstract

This research studied the occurrence of estrogens in the Upper Satilla watershed, Georgia, USA, which was impacted by poultry litter land application and discharge from a sewage treatment plant (STP) receiving poultry wastes. Over 14 months, four estrogens in stream water, sediment, suspended particles, and STP samples were quantified by LC/MS. Estrogens were consistently found in the STP influent with high concentrations while they were below the detection limits in the majority of stream water, suspended particles, and sediment. Estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estriol were found in 18% of stream water samples with concentrations up to 46.4, 67.2, and 125 ng L⁻¹, respectively. However, 17α-ethinylestradiol was only detected in STP samples. Estrogens were found in 14% of suspended particle samples with the median concentration being 27.5 ng g⁻¹ for estrone, 104.5 ng g⁻¹ for 17β-estradiol, and 93.9 ng g⁻¹ for estriol. The estrogen concentrations in sediment were <4.95 ng g⁻¹, indicating that sediment is not a major sink for estrogens in this watershed. The quantitative analysis of the temporal and spatial distribution of the estrogens suggests the occasional elevation of estrogens in the watershed above the predicted-no-effect-concentrations to fish likely to be associated with litter disposal and rainfall events.