Fate and transport of 17β-estradiol in soil-water systems

Over the past several years, there has been an increase in concern regarding reproductive hormones in the environment. To date, there exists limited research on the fate and transport of these chemicals in the environment. In this study, a series of laboratory batch sorption and miscible-displacement experiments were done using radiolabeled [C-14]17beta-estradiol. The 17beta-estradiol concentrations that were used were similar to those found in manures that are applied to field soils. Equilibrium batch experiments indicated high sorption affinity with correlations to mineral particle size and organic matter content. The sorption affinity appeared to be associated with the surface area and/or the cation-exchange capacity of the soil. The miscible-displacement breakthrough curves indicated chemical nonequilibrium transport, and a single highly polar metabolite was present in the column effluent along with sporadic and trace detections of estriol. Sorbed to the soil within the column were found 17beta-estradiol, estrone, and trace and sporadic detections of estriol. Two chemical nonequilibrium, miscible-displacement models were used to describe the column breakthrough curves; one without transformations and the other with transformations. Both models resulted in excellent descriptions of the data, which indicated nonunique solutions and less confidence in the parameter estimates. Nonetheless, the modeling and experimental results implied that degradation/transformation occurred in the sorbed phase and was rapid. Also, both models indicated that sorption was fully kinetic.