Mobility of the growth promoters trenbolone and melengestrol acetate in agricultural soil: Column studies

There is growing concern about environmentally released man-made chemicals suspected to be responsible for a number of adverse effects on endocrine function in wildlife species and possibly also in humans. Sex hormones are of particular interest due to their regulatory role in developmental processes such as sexual differentiation. Endogenous hormones of human or animal origin as well as exogenous sex steroids used for contraception or as anabolics for farm animals are excreted and reach the environment. We investigated the transport of the synthetic growth promoters trenbolone (TbOH) and melengestrol acetate (MGA) in agricultural soil by means of column experiments with aggregated soil materials (Ap and Bt horizons of a Luvisol). Column effluent concentrations and depth profiles of TbOH and MGA were determined with sensitive enzyme immunoassay systems and HPLC (RP-18), respectively. All procedures were confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Small amounts of TbOH and MGA passed the columns very quickly. However, both hormones exhibited a high affinity to the organic matter of both horizons leading to a high retardation within the upper layers of the soil columns. Although we cannot deduce whether hormones of animal origin reach the ground water under field conditions, our model experiments show that their transition can be presumed.