Rainfall and tillage effects on transport of fecal bacteria and sex hormones 17β-estradiol and testosterone from broiler litter applications to a Georgia Piedmont Ultisol

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2008-09, Vol.403 (1), p.154-163
• Main Authors: Jenkins, Michael B., Truman, Clint C., Siragusa, Gregory, Line, Eric, Bailey, J. Stan, Frye, Jonathan, Endale, Dinku M., Franklin, Dorcas H., Schomberg, Harry H., Fisher, Dwight S., Sharpe, Ronald R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agricultural runoff; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; animal pathogenic bacteria; antibiotic residues; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; broiler chickens; Campylobacter; Clostridium perfringens; Continental surface waters; conventional tillage; corn; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Enterococcus; Escherichia coli; estradiol; Exact sciences and technology; Fecal enterococci; feces; fertilizer application; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; indicator species; microbial contamination; Natural water pollution; nitrogen fertilizers; no-tillage; organic fertilizers; piedmont; piedmont soils; Pollution; pollution load; Pollution, environment geology; poultry manure; rain; rain intensity; rainfall simulation; Runoff; Salmonella; sandy loam soils; Soil and water pollution; soil pollution; Soil science; spring; testosterone; tillage; Ultisols; water pollution; Water treatment and pollution; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.05.014

Poultry litter provides nutrients for crop and pasture production; however, it also contains fecal bacteria, sex hormones (17β-estradiol and testosterone) and antibiotic residues that may contaminate surface waters. Our objective was to quantify transport of fecal bacteria, estradiol, testosterone and antibiotic residues from a Cecil sandy loam managed since 1991 under no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) to which either poultry litter (PL) or conventional fertilizer (CF) was applied based on the nitrogen needs of corn ( Zea mays L) in the Southern Piedmont of NE Georgia. Simulated rainfall was applied for 60 min to 2 by 3-m field plots at a constant rate in 2004 and variable rate in 2005. Runoff was continuously measured and subsamples taken for determining flow-weighted concentrations of fecal bacteria, hormones, and antibiotic residues. Neither Salmonella, nor Campylobacter, nor antimicrobial residues were detected in litter, soil, or runoff. Differences in soil concentrations of fecal bacteria before and after rainfall simulations were observed only for Escherichia coli in the constant rainfall intensity experiment. Differences in flow-weighted concentrations were observed only for testosterone in both constant and variable intensity rainfall experiments, and were greatest for treatments that received poultry litter. Total loads of E. coli and fecal enterococci, were largest for both tillage treatments receiving poultry litter for the variable rainfall intensity. Load of testosterone was greatest for no-till plots receiving poultry litter under variable rainfall intensity. Poultry litter application rates commensurate for corn appeared to enhance only soil concentrations of E. coli, and runoff concentrations of testosterone above background levels.