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Background: Substance use disorder and associated deaths have increased in the United States, but methods for detecting and monitoring substance use using rapid and unbiased techniques are lacking. Wastewater-based surveillance is a cost-effective method for monitoring community drug use. However, the examination of the results often focuses on descriptive analysis., Objective: The objective of this study was to explore community substance use in the United States by analyzing wastewater samples. Geographic differences and commonalities of substance use were explored., Methods: Wastewater was sampled across the United States (n=12). Selected drugs with misuse potential, prescriptions, and over-the-counter drugs and their metabolites were tested across geographic locations for 7 days. Methods used included wastewater assessment of substances and metabolites paired with machine learning, specifically discriminant analysis and cluster analysis, to explore similarities and differences in wastewater measures., Results: Geographic variations in the wastewater drug or metabolite levels were found. Results revealed a higher use of methamphetamine (z=-2.27, P=.02) and opioids-to-methadone ratios (oxycodone-to-methadone: z=-1.95, P=.05; hydrocodone-to-methadone: z=-1.95, P=.05) in states west of the Mississippi River compared to the east. Discriminant analysis suggested temazepam and methadone were significant predictors of geographical locations. Precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F 1 -scores were 0.88, 1, 0.80, and 0.93, respectively. Finally, cluster analysis revealed similarities in substance use among communities., Conclusions: These findings suggest that wastewater-based surveillance has the potential to become an effective form of surveillance for substance use. Further, advanced analytical techniques may help uncover geographical patterns and detect communities with similar needs for resources to address substance use disorders. Using automated analytics, these advanced surveillance techniques may help communities develop timely, tailored treatment and prevention efforts., (©Marie A Severson, Sathaporn Onanong, Alexandra Dolezal, Shannon L Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D Snow, Lisa M McFadden. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 26.10.2023.)

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented usage and elevated environmental concentrations of antiviral drugs. However, very limited studies have reported their sorption characteristics on environmental matrices. This study investigated the sorption of six COVID-19 related antivirals on Taihu Lake sediment with varied aqueous chemistry. Results showed that the sorption isotherms for arbidol (ABD), oseltamivir (OTV), and ritonavir (RTV) were linear, while the Freundlich model was the best-fit for ribavirin (RBV) and the Langmuir model for favipiravir (FPV) and remdesivir (RDV). Their distribution coefficient, K d, varied between 5.051 L/kg to 248.6 L/kg with the sorption capacities ranked as FPV > RDV > ABD > RTV > OTV > RBV. Alkaline conditions (pH 9) and elevated cation strength (0.05 M to 0.1 M) decreased the sorption capacities of the sediment for these drugs. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the spontaneous sorption of RDV, ABD, and RTV was between physisorption and chemisorption while FPV, RBV, and OTV were mainly physisorption. Functional groups related to hydrogen bonds, π - π interaction, and surface complexation were implicated in the sorption processes. These findings enhance our understanding about the environmental fate of COVID-19 related antivirals and provide basic data for predicting their distribution and risk in the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Due to the decline of the Aral Sea fishery and recent efforts to expand the fisheries sector in Kazakhstan for both local consumption and global export, there is a need to sustain other fisheries in the area, including the Shardara Reservoir, which lies in the Syr Darya basin. Metals are present in the Syr Darya; yet, their impacts on fishery and consumer health remain unclear. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate: 1) the potential impacts of metals on Syr Darya basin fish and 2) the human health risks posed by consumption of Shardara Reservoir fish. The health of the fishery was assessed by comparing surface water metal concentrations to maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs), calculating water quality index (WQI) and degree of contamination (C d ) values, and evaluating gene expression biomarker responses in wild-caught roach (Rutilus rutilus). To assess the risk to consumers, metal concentrations in roach were used to calculate hazard quotients (HQs) and hazard indices (HIs). Water concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, Sr and V exceeded MPCs and all sites were classified as highly polluted based upon WQI and C d values. This, along with site-specific differences in the expression of genes associated with xenobiotic metabolism and oxidative stress in roach, indicates potential risks to the fishery. Though all HQs and HIs were below 1 indicating a lack of significant risk to consumers, Pb levels in roach exceeded MPCs for safe consumption indicating a potential risk. Given the potential risks to the fishery and consumers, the development of pollution monitoring and management programs are warranted. The work presented here provides initial monitoring data that can be used to aid such efforts and also underscores the need to identify environmental stressors that may thwart the anticipated growth of fisheries in this region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dan Snow, Alan Kolok, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, and Marlo Jeffries report financial support was provided by National Science Foundation. Bolat Uralbekov reports financial support was provided by Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been identified in 30 states in the United States, four provinces in Canada, and recently emerged in Scandinavia. The association of CWD prions with environmental materials such as soil, plants, and surfaces may enhance the persistence of CWD prion infectivity in the environment exacerbating disease transmission. Identifying and quantifying CWD prions in the environment is significant for prion monitoring and disease transmission control. A systematic method for CWD prion quantification from associated environmental materials, however, does not exist. In this study, we developed an innovative method for extracting prions from swabs and recovering CWD prions swabbed from different types of surfaces including glass, stainless steel, and wood. We found that samples dried on swabs were unfavorable for prion extraction, with the greatest prion recovery from wet swabs. Using this swabbing technique, the recovery of CWD prions dried to glass or stainless steel was approximately 30% in most cases, whereas that from wood was undetectable by conventional prion immunodetection techniques. Real-time quake-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) analysis of these same samples resulted in an increase of the detection limit of CWD prions from stainless steel by 4 orders of magnitude. More importantly, the RT-QuIC detection of CWD prions recovered from stainless steel surfaces using this method was similar to the original CWD prion load applied to the surface. This combined surface swabbing and RT-QuIC detection method provides an ultrasensitive means for prion detection across many settings and applications., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Land application of livestock manure introduces antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) into the soil environment. The objectives of this study were to examine the changes of resistome and mobilome in runoff and soil as a function of setback distance, i.e., the distance between manured soil and surface water, and to quantify the contributions of manure and background soil to the ARGs and MGEs in surface runoff. The resistome and mobilome in runoff and soil from a field-scale plot study were characterized using a high throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR) array. It was estimated that a setback distance of ~40 m is required to reduce the total abundance of ARGs and MGEs in runoff from amended plots to that in control runoff. The resistome and mobilome of the soil in the setback region was not affected by manure-borne ARGs and MGEs. SourceTracker analyses revealed that background soil gradually became the predominant source of the ARGs and MGEs in runoff as setback distance increased. The results demonstrate how manure-borne ARGs and MGEs dissipated in agricultural runoff with increasing setback distance and had limited impacts on the resistome and mobilome of soil within the setback region., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) may be introduced to agricultural soil through the land application of cattle manure. During a rainfall event, manure-borne ARGs may infiltrate into subsurface soil and leach into groundwater. The objective of this study was to characterize and model the vertical transport of manure-borne ARGs through soil following the land application of beef cattle manure on soil surface. In this study, soil column experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of manure application on subsurface transport of four ARGs: erm(C), erm(F), tet(O) and tet(Q). An attachment-detachment model with the decay of ARGs in the soil was used to simulate the breakthrough of ARGs in leachates from the control column (without manure) and treatment (with manure) soil columns. Results showed that the first-order attachment coefficient (k a ) was five to six orders of magnitude higher in the treatment column than in the control column. Conversely, the first-order detachment and decay coefficients (k d and μ s ) were not significantly changed due to manure application. These findings suggest that in areas where manure is land-applied, some manure-borne bacteria-associated ARGs will be attached to the soil, instead of leaching to groundwater in near terms., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Manure storage methods can affect the concentration and prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in cattle manure prior to land application. The objective of this study was to compare stockpiling and composting with respect to their effectiveness in reducing ARB and ARGs in beef cattle manure in a field-scale study. Field experiments were conducted in different seasons with different bulking agents for composting. For both the winter-spring cycle and the summer-fall cycle, ARB concentrations declined below the limit of quantification rapidly in both composting piles and stockpiles; however, ARB prevalence was significantly greater in the composting piles than in the stockpiles. This was likely due to the introduction of ARB from bulking agents. There was no significant change in ARG concentrations between initial and final concentrations for either manure storage treatment during the winter-spring cycle, but a significant reduction of the ARGs erm (B), tet (O), and tet (Q) over time was observed for both the composting pile and stockpile during the summer-fall cycle. Results from this study suggest that (i) bulking agent may be an important source of ARB and ARGs for composting; (ii) during cold months, the heterogeneity of the temperature profile in composting piles could result in poor ARG reduction; and (iii) during warm months, both stockpiling and composting can be effective in reducing ARG abundance. IMPORTANCE Proper treatment of manure is essential to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance and protect human health. Stockpiling and composting are two manure storage methods which can reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes, although few field-scale studies have examined the relative efficiency of each method. This study examined the ability of both methods in both winter-spring and summer-fall cycles, while also accounting for heterogeneity within field-scale manure piles. This study determined that bulking agents used in composting could contribute antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Additionally, seasonal variation could hinder the efficacy of composting in colder months due to heterogeneity in temperature within the pile; however, in warmer months, either method of manure storage could be effective in reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Manure storage facilities are critical control points to reduce antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in swine manure slurry before the slurry is land applied. However, little is known about how exogenous chemicals entering the manure storage facilities may affect the fate of ARGs. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of six commonly used pit additives and four facility disinfectants on the concentration of ARGs in swine manure slurry. Bench scale reactors, each containing approximately 50 L of liquid swine manure, were dosed with additives or disinfectants and were sampled for 40 days. Seven antibiotic resistance genes along with the intI1 gene and the 16S rRNA gene were monitored. Out of the six additives tested, Sludge Away significantly reduced the time-averaged absolute abundance of erm(C), erm(F), tet(Q), and the 16S rRNA gene as compared to the no additive control. Out of the four disinfectants tested, Tek-Trol significantly reduced the time-averaged absolute abundance of erm(B), erm(C), erm(F), intI1, tet(Q), and tet(X) than did the no-disinfectant control. According to Spearman's rank correlation, three genes erm(F), tet(Q), and tet(X) showed a strong to perfectly positive correlation and the two genes erm(B) and tet(O) showed a moderate to strong correlation in both the additive and disinfectant tests. Overall, the disinfectants were more effective in controlling the absolute abundance of ARGs than were the pit additives., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Climate change will impact soil properties such as soil moisture, organic carbon and temperature and changes in these properties will influence the sorption, biodegradation and leaching of trace organic contaminants to groundwater. In this study, we conducted a modeling case study to evaluate atrazine and estrone transport in the subsurface under current and future climate conditions at a field site in central Nebraska. According to the modeling results, in the future, enhanced evapotranspiration and increased average air temperature may cause drier soil conditions, which consequently reduces the biodegradation of atrazine and estrone in the water phase. On the other hand, greater transpiration rates lead to greater root solute uptake which may decrease the concentration of atrazine and estrone in the soil profile. Another consequence of future climate is that the infiltration and leaching rates for both atrazine and estrone may be lower under future climate scenarios. Reduced infiltration of trace organic compounds may indicate that lower trace organic concentrations in groundwater may occur under future climate scenarios., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Accurate prediction of Escherichia coli contamination in surface waters is challenging due to considerable uncertainty in the physical, chemical and biological variables that control E. coli occurrence and sources in surface waters. This study proposes a novel approach by integrating hydro-climatic variables as well as animal density and grazing pattern in the feature selection modeling phase to increase E. coli prediction accuracy for two cascading dams at the US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), Nebraska. Predictive models were developed using regression techniques and an artificial neural network (ANN). Two adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) structures including subtractive clustering and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering were also used to develop models for predicting E. coli. The performances of the predictive models were evaluated and compared using root mean squared log error (RMSLE). Cross-validation and model performance results indicated that although the majority of models predicted E. coli accurately, ANFIS models resulted in fewer errors compared to the other models. The ANFIS models have the potential to be used to predict E. coli concentration for intervention plans and monitoring programs for cascading dams, and to implement effective best management practices for grazing and irrigation during the growing season., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The environmental spread of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from the land application of livestock wastes can be a potential public health threat. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of setback distance, which determines how close manure may be applied in relation to surface water, on the transport of antibiotics and ARGs in runoff and soil following land application of swine manure slurry. Rainfall simulation tests were conducted on field plots covered with wheat residues, each of which contained an upslope manure region where slurry was applied and an adjacent downslope setback region that did not receive slurry. Results show that all three antibiotics (chlortetracycline, lincomycin, and tiamulin) and seven out of the ten genes tested ( erm (B), erm (C), intI1 , tet (O), tet (Q), tet (X), and the 16S rRNA gene) decreased significantly in runoff with increased setback distance. Only bla TEM , chlortetracycline, and tiamulin decreased significantly in surface soil with increased setback distance, while the other analytes did not exhibit statistically significant trends. By using linear regression models with field data, we estimate that a setback distance between 34-67 m may allow manure-borne antibiotics and ARGs in runoff to reach background levels under the experimental conditions tested.

Land application of swine manure slurry is a common practice to supplement nutrients to soil for crop production. This practice can introduce antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into the environment. Field testing is critical in identifying manure management practices effective in minimizing the environmental impacts of manure-borne antibiotic and ARGs. The objective of this study was to determine how the timing of swine manure application relative to rainfall events impacts the fate and transport of antibiotics and ARGs in surface runoff and manure-amended soil. Swine manure slurry was either broadcast or injected on test plots in the field. A set of three 30-min simulated rainfall events, 24 h apart, were initiated on manured plots 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, or 3 weeks after the manure application. Results showed that an interval longer than 2 weeks between application and rainfall often significantly reduced the levels of antibiotics and ARGs tested in runoff with the exception of tet(X). For soil samples from broadcast plots, concentrations of two of the three antibiotics tested (lincomycin and tiamulin) decreased substantially in the first two weeks after manure application. In contrast, concentrations of most of the ARGs tested (tet(Q), tet(X), and erm(A)) in soil did not change significantly during the test period. Information obtained from the study can be beneficial in designing manure management practices and estimating the environmental loading of antibiotics and ARGs resulting from manure application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The objective of this study was to assess the persistence and transport of atrazine at high infiltration rates expected from higher intensity precipitation associated with climate change scenarios in the midwestern U.S. The transport and transformation of atrazine was monitored in column experiments at high infiltration rates (64-119 mm d-1) associated with increased precipitation intensity. The optimum linear sorption and the lumped Monod biokinetic parameters were determined by inverting observed break-through curves (BTCs) using the advection-dispersion-sorption-degradation model. Batch microcosm studies were also conducted to examine the effect of moisture content (5%, 15% and 25%) on atrazine degradation and support the column results. BTCs from both soil types with continuous atrazine input showed a characteristic pattern of a pulse input i.e. lag phase prior to rapid atrazine degradation. The rate of atrazine leaching at higher infiltration rates was not fast enough to counteract the effect of enhanced degradation. Higher infiltration rates enriched the distribution of hydroxyatrazine in the soil profile for sandy loam, but their effect was minimal in loam soil. The pattern of degradation obtained in batch microcosms agreed with the column results. In both soils, mean half-life of atrazine was lower (4-8 days) at high soil moisture contents. Under future climate change scenarios, where more intense precipitation is likely to result in higher infiltration rates and increased soil moisture, the potential for groundwater pollution from atrazine may be reduced, especially in areas with a long history of atrazine application to soil.

Citizen science is a research tool capable of addressing major environmental challenges, including contamination of water resources by agrichemicals, such as nutrients and pesticides. The objectives of this study were (1) to identify the proportion of accurate observations by citizen scientists using rapid assessment water quality tools, and (2) to characterize how a user's prior experience with water quality tools was associated with the accuracy of citizen scientists. To achieve these objectives, we conducted group testing with over 136 citizen scientists and compared their results from water quality testing of water samples to results obtained using laboratory analytical methods. Following brief training, we observed that accuracy of reported results varies based on the user's experience level where experienced and expert users shared consistent and reliable measurements. Where erroneous measures were reported, citizen scientists tend to overestimate contaminant concentrations when using colorimetric water quality tools. Additionally, we identified differences in accuracy related to the types of water quality assessment tools used by citizen scientists from each experience group. This study demonstrates the importance of evaluating participant background experience in designing citizen science campaigns.

Reclaimed wastewater is increasingly used as a source of irrigation water in croplands. The enteric pathogens in reclaimed wastewater may accumulate in soil and plants and cause food safety concerns. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of irrigation water containing Salmonella on the microbial communities in the rhizosphere and in the root of lettuce. The effects were also examined with three variables (soil texture, lettuce cultivar and harvest time) in a factorial design. Analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequences show that the microbial communities in the root were significantly different from those in the rhizosphere, although ∼80% of the microbes in the root originated from the rhizosphere. Salmonella in irrigation water significantly altered the structure of the microbial community in the rhizosphere, but not in the root. Salmonella internalized in lettuce root was observed when contaminated water was used for irrigation. Compared to lettuce cultivar and harvest time, soil texture played a more significant role in shaping the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere and in the root. Results from this study could advance understanding about the long-term impact of reclaimed wastewater as a source of irrigation water on the microbiota associated with leafy green vegetables., (© FEMS 2018.)

Purpose of Review: Growth-enhancing chemicals used by the beef and dairy industries may be bioavailable to humans via milk, meat, and other environmental matrices. This review evaluates the potential for environmental transport and bioavailability of the active chemical to humans., Recent Findings: Bovine somatostatin is detectable in milk; however, there is no evidence that the protein persists in the environment nor that it is active in humans. In contrast, steroids are transported through milk and meat to humans where they may exert biological activity. Furthermore, environmental matrices such as raw water and dust may also allow for the environmental transport and bioavailability of steroids to humans. Endogenous and exogenous steroids can be found in the meat, milk, and waste materials produced by cattle. While the concentrations may be low, exposure to these matrices, most notably dairy products made with whole milk, can be a source of exogenous steroids to humans.

The assembly and accumulation of α-synuclein fibrils are implicated in the development of several neurodegenerative disorders including multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease. Pre-existing α-synuclein fibrils can recruit and convert soluble non-fibrillar α-synuclein to the fibrillar form similar to what is observed in prion diseases. This raises concerns regarding attachment of fibrillary α-synuclein to medical instruments and subsequent exposure of patients to α-synuclein similar to what has been observed in iatrogenic transmission of prions. Here, we evaluated adsorption and desorption of α-synuclein to two surfaces: stainless steel and a gold surface coated with a 11-Amino-1-undecanethiol hydrochloride self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) using in-situ combinatorial quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and spectroscopic ellipsometry. α-Synuclein was found to attach to both surfaces, however, increased α-synuclein adsorption was observed onto the positively charged SAM surface compared to the stainless steel surface. Dynamic light scattering data showed that larger α-synuclein fibrils were preferentially attached to the stainless steel surface when compared with the distributions in the original α-synuclein solution and on the SAM surface. We determined that after attachment, introduction of a 1N NaOH solution could completely remove α-synuclein adsorbed on the stainless steel surface while α-synuclein was retained on the SAM surface. Our results indicate α-synuclein can bind to multiple surface types and that decontamination is surface-dependent., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease in North America. Recent identification of CWD in wild cervids from Norway raises the concern of the spread of CWD in Europe. CWD infectivity can enter the environment through live animal excreta and carcasses where it can bind to soil. Well-characterized hamster prion strains and CWD field isolates in unadsorbed or soil-adsorbed forms that were either hydrated or dehydrated were subjected to repeated rounds of freezing and thawing. We found that 500 cycles of repeated freezing and thawing of hydrated samples significantly decreased the abundance of PrP Sc and reduced protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) seeding activity that could be rescued by binding to soil. Importantly, dehydration prior to freezing and thawing treatment largely protected PrP Sc from degradation, and the samples maintained PMCA seeding activity. We hypothesize that redistribution of water molecules during the freezing and thawing process alters the stability of PrP Sc aggregates. Overall, these results have significant implications for the assessment of prion persistence in the environment. IMPORTANCE Prions excreted into the environment by infected animals, such as elk and deer infected with chronic wasting disease, persist for years and thus facilitate horizontal transmission of the disease. Understanding the fate of prions in the environment is essential to control prion disease transmission. The significance of our study is that it provides information on the possibility of prion degradation and inactivation under natural weathering processes. This information is significant for remediation of prion-contaminated environments and development of prion disease control strategies., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.)

Agricultural runoff is a non-point source of chemical contaminants that are seasonally detected in surface water and sediments. Agrichemicals found within seasonal runoff can elicit endocrine disrupting effects in organisms as adults, juveniles and larvae. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine if exposure to water, sediment or the water-sediment combination collected from an agricultural runoff event was responsible for changes in endocrine-responsive gene expression and development in fathead minnow larvae, and (2) whether such early life exposure leads to adverse effects as adults. Larvae were exposed during the first month post-hatch to water and sediment collected from the Elkhorn River and then allowed to depurate in filtered water until reaching sexual maturity, exemplifying a best-case recovery scenario. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of the water and sediment samples detected 12 pesticides including atrazine, acetochlor, metolachlor and dimethenamid. In minnow larvae, exposure to river water upregulated androgen receptor gene expression whereas exposure to the sediment downregulated estrogen receptor α expression. Adult males previously exposed to both water and sediment were feminized through the induction of an ovipositor structure whereas no impacts were observed in other reproductive or sex characteristic endpoints for either sex based on exposure history. Results from this study indicate that both water and sediments found in agricultural runoff elicit responses from minnow larvae, and larvae can recover following early life exposure under a best-case scenario., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Agriculturally-dominated waterways such as those found throughout the Midwestern United States often experience seasonal pulses of agrichemical contaminants which pose a potential hazard to aquatic organisms at varying life stages. The objective of this study was to characterize the developmental plasticity of fathead minnow larvae in a natural environment subject to a seasonal episodic perturbation in the form of a complex mixture of agricultural stressors. Fathead minnow larvae were maintained at the Elkhorn River Research Station for a 28-d in situ exposure to an agrichemical pulse event. Minnow larvae were sampled after 14 and 28days to characterize developmental plasticity through growth measures and relative gene expression. Concentrations of agrichemical contaminants measured in water using polar organic chemical integrative samplers and composite sediment samples throughout the 28-d exposure were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Elevated concentrations of acetochlor, atrazine, and metolachlor were indicative of inputs from agricultural sources and were associated with reductions in body mass, condition factor, and androgenic gene expression in river exposed fathead minnow larvae. However, following a 14-d in situ depuration during the post-pulse period, river exposed larvae overcompensated in previously suppressed biological endpoints. These results indicate that fathead minnow larvae are capable of compensatory responses following episodic exposure to agrichemical stressors., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Runoff generated from livestock manure amended row crop fields is one of the major pathways of hormone transport to the aquatic environment. The study determined the effects of manure handling, tillage methods, and rainfall timing on the occurrence and transport of steroid hormones in runoff from the row crop field. Stockpiled and composted manure from hormone treated and untreated animals were applied to test plots and subjected to two rainfall simulation events 30days apart. During the two rainfall simulation events, detection of any steroid hormone or metabolites was identified in 8-86% of runoff samples from any tillage and manure treatment. The most commonly detected hormones were 17β-estradiol, estrone, estriol, testosterone, and α-zearalenol at concentrations ranging up to 100-200ngL -1 . Considering the maximum detected concentrations in runoff, no more than 10% of the applied hormone can be transported through the dissolved phase of runoff. Results from the study indicate that hormones can persist in soils receiving livestock manure over an extended period of time and the dissolved phase of hormone in runoff is not the preferred pathway of transport from the manure applied fields irrespective of tillage treatments and timing of rainfall., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Stereoisomers of estradiol (E2) or trenbolone (TB) can occur together in the environment receiving human or livestock wastes. However, the effect of their co-occurrence on persistence has not been well elucidated. A sandy and a silt loam sediment were used to establish microcosms with α- and β-isomers of E2 or TB spiked individually and together. Sediments were sampled periodically and analyzed for E2 and TB isomers and their transformation products using derivatization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that stereoselective degradation was significant for E2 in both sediments and TB in the sandy sediment with β-isomers decaying more rapidly than α-isomers. In the sandy sediment containing limited natural organic carbon and nutrients, co-occurrence of both isomers of either E2 or TB decreased the dissipation rates. In the silt loam sediment with abundant organic matter and nutrients, the decay rates of both isomers were not changed in the presence of the other isomer. Estrone (E1) and trendione (TD) were detected as primary metabolites of E2 and TB isomers, respectively. The formation and decay profiles of E1 were similar in both sediments with 92-100% of E2 transformed to E1. The TD profiles were different across sediments with ∼100% of TB transformed to TD except in the sandy sediment where 51-60% of 17α-TB was converted to TD. These results indicate that the transformation processes of steroid hormone are stereoselective in sediment and co-occurrence of stereoisomers can prolong steroid persistence and thus pose greater environmental risk.

Soil/sediment particle size has been reported to influence the sorption and bioavailability of steroid hormones in the environment. However, the impact of particle size on biotransformation has not been well elucidated. The present study investigated the dissipation of 17β-estradiol and 17β-trenbolone and the formation and degradation of the subsequent transformation products in different size fractions of a sandy and a silt loam sediment. The results showed that the decay of 17β-estradiol and 17β-trenbolone associated with fine particles followed a biphasic pattern with more rapid decay in the initial phase followed by a second phase with slower decay of the residues compared to their decay rates in the sand fraction. Estrone and trendione were detected as a primary biotransformation product for 17β-estradiol and 17β-trenbolone, respectively. The parent-to-product conversion ratios and the degradation rates of estrone and trendione varied among different size fractions, but no consistent correlation was observed between decay rates and sediment particle size. Estrone and trendione decayed in the whole sediments at rates not statistically different from those associated with the fine fractions. These results indicate that fine particles may play an important role in influencing the persistence of and the potential risk posed by steroid hormones in the aquatic systems., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A total of 59 papers published in 2015 were reviewed ranging from detailed descriptions of analytical methods, to fate and occurrence studies, to ecological effects and sampling techniques for a wide variety of emerging contaminants likely to occur in agricultural environments. New methods and studies on veterinary pharmaceuticals, steroids, antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural environments continue to expand our knowledge base on the occurrence and potential impacts of these compounds. This review is divided into the following sections: Introduction, Analytical Methods, Steroid Hormones, Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Transformation Products, and "Antibiotic Resistance, Drugs, Bugs and Genes".

This study investigated the aggregation of n-TiO2 in the presence of humic acid (HA) and/or 17β-estradiol (E2) under high ionic strength conditions simulating levels detected in landfill leachate. Aggregation of n-TiO2 was strongly influenced by ionic strength as well as ionic valence in that divalent cations (Ca(2+)) were more effective than monovalent (Na(+)) at the surface modification. HA or E2 enhanced aggregation of n-TiO2 in 20 mM CaCl2, however little aggregation was observed in 100 mM NaCl. Similarly, we observed only the increased aggregation of n-TiO2 in the presence of HA/E2. These results showed the critical role of particles' surface charges on the aggregation behaviors of n-TiO2 that HA plays more significantly than E2. However, the slightly increased zeta potential and aggregation of n-TiO2 in the combination of HA and E2 at both 20 mM CaCl2 and 100 mM NaCl means that E2 has influenced on the surface modification of n-TiO2 by adsorption. Based on the aggregation of n-TiO2 under high ionic strength with HA and/or E2, we simulated the mobility of aggregated n-TiO2 in porous media. As a result, we observed that the mobility distance of aggregated n-TiO2 was dramatically influenced by the surface modification with both HA and/or E2 between particles and media. Furthermore, larger mobility distance was observed with larger aggregation of n-TiO2 particles that can be explained by clean bed filtration (CFT) theory., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The environmental fate and bioavailability of progesterone, a steroid hormone known to cause endocrine-disrupting effects in aquatic organisms, is of growing concern due to its occurrence in the environment in water and sediment influenced by wastewater treatment plant and paper mill effluents, as well as livestock production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fate of progesterone in two natural sediments and the corresponding alteration of gene expression in three steroid-responsive genes; vitellogenin, androgen receptor and estrogen receptor alpha. When exposed to progesterone-spiked sand, fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exhibited significant reductions in the expression of vitellogenin and androgen receptor expression. In contrast, fish exposed to progesterone associated with the silty loam sediment did not show a biological response at 7 days and only realized a significant reduction in vitellogenin. In both sediments, progesterone degradation resulted in the production of androgens including androsteinedione, testosterone, and androstadienedione, as well as the antiestrogen, testolactone. Differences in compound fate resulted in organism exposure to different suites of metabolites either in water or associated with the sediment. Results from this study suggest that environmental progestagens will lead to defeminization at environmentally relevant concentrations, and that exposure is influenced by sediment properties.

Treated wastewater is expected to be increasingly used as an alternative source of irrigation water in areas facing fresh water scarcity. Understanding the behaviors of contaminants from wastewater in soil and plants following irrigation is critical to assess and manage the risks associated with wastewater irrigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil texture and drought stress on the uptake of antibiotics and the internalization of human pathogens into lettuce through root uptake following wastewater irrigation. Lettuce grown in three soils with variability in soil texture (loam, sandy loam, and sand) and under different levels of water stress (no drought control, mild drought, and severe drought) were irrigated with synthetic wastewater containing three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, lincomycin and oxytetracycline) and one Salmonella strain a single time prior to harvest. Antibiotic uptake in lettuce was compound-specific and generally low. Only sulfamethoxazole was detected in lettuce with increasing uptake corresponding to increasing sand content in soil. Increased drought stress resulted in increased uptake of lincomycin and decreased uptake of oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole. The internalization of Salmonella was highly dependent on the concentration of the pathogen in irrigation water. Irrigation water containing 5 Log CFU/mL Salmonella resulted in limited incidence of internalization. When irrigation water contained 8 Log CFU/mL Salmonella, the internalization frequency was significantly higher in lettuce grown in sand than in loam (p = 0.009), and was significantly higher in lettuce exposed to severe drought than in unstressed lettuce (p = 0.049). This work demonstrated how environmental factors affected the risk of contaminant uptake by food crops following wastewater irrigation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is growing concern about the biologic effects of steroid hormones in impacted waterways. There is increasing evidence of enhanced transport and biological effects stemming from steroid hormones associated with soils or sediments; however, there are limited studies evaluating how steroid hormone distribution between various particle sizes within whole sediments affects steroid fate. In this study, sorption of 17β-estradiol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone was evaluated to different size fractions of two natural sediments, a silty loam and a sandy sediment, to determine the steroid sorption capacity to each fraction and distribution within the whole sediment. Sorption isotherms for all steroid hormones fit linear sorption models. Sorption capacity was influenced more by organic carbon content than particle size. Interactions between size fractions were found to affect the distribution of steroids within the whole sediments. All four steroids preferentially sorbed to the clay and colloids in the silty loam sediment at the lowest aqueous concentration (1 ng/L) and as aqueous concentration increased, the distribution of sorbed steroid was similar to the distribution by weight of each size fraction within the whole sediment. In the sandy sediment, preferential sorption to fine particles was observed., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We evaluated the occurrence of 12 veterinary antibiotics and a beta agonist over spatial and temporal scales in Shell Creek, an intensively agricultural watershed in Nebraska, using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS). Twelve pharmaceuticals were detected with concentrations ranging from 0.0003 ng/L to 68 ng/L. The antibiotics measured at the highest time-weighted average concentrations were lincomycin (68 ng/L) and monensin (49 ng/L), and both compounds were detected at increased concentrations in summer months. Analysis of variance indicates that mean concentrations of detected pharmaceuticals have no significant (p > 0.01) spatial variation. However, significant temporal differences (p < 0.01) were observed. This study demonstrates the utility of passive samplers such as POCIS for monitoring ambient levels of pharmaceuticals in surface waters., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A total of 43 papers published in 2014 were reviewed ranging from detailed descriptions of analytical methods, to fate and occurrence studies, to measuring and predicting biological effects for a wide variety of emerging contaminants likely to occur in agricultural environments. New methods and studies on veterinary pharmaceuticals, natural and synthetics steroids, and antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural environments continue to expand our knowledge base on the occurrence and potential impacts of these compounds. This review is divided into the following sections: Introduction, Analytical Methods, Occurrence and Fate, Antibiotic Resistance Genes, and Risk Assessment.

Precipitation induced runoff is an important pathway for agrichemicals to enter surface water systems and expose aquatic organisms to endocrine-disrupting compounds such as pesticides and steroid hormones. The objectives of this study were to investigate the distribution of agrichemicals between dissolved and sediment-bound phases during spring pulses of agrichemicals and to evaluate the role of suspended sediment in agrichemical bioavailability to aquatic organisms. To accomplish these objectives, suspended sediment and water samples were collected every 3 days from a field site along the Elkhorn River, located at the downstream end of a heavily agricultural watershed, and were screened for 21 pesticides and 21 steroids. Adult female fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed in field mesocosms to river water containing varying sediment loads. Changes in organism hepatic gene expression of two estrogen-responsive genes, vitellogenin (VTG) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), as well as the androgen receptor (AR) were analyzed during periods of both low and high river discharge. Trends in agrichemical concentrations of both the dissolved and sediment phases as a function of time show that, while sediment may act as both a source and a sink for agrichemicals following precipitation events, the overall driver for molecular defeminization in this system is direct exposure to the sediment-associated compounds. This study suggests that endocrine disrupting effects observed in organisms in turbid water could be attributed to direct exposure of contaminated sediment.

Agricultural runoff from areas receiving livestock manure can potentially contaminate surface water with antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of narrow grass hedges (NGHs) on reducing the transport of antimicrobials and ARGs in runoff after land application of swine manure slurry. Plot-scale rainfall simulation tests were conducted on 0.75 m by 4.0 m plots designed to test three treatment factors: manure amendment (control plots receiving no manure vs. amended plots receiving manure based on 3 times N requirement), NGH (plots with a NGH vs. plots without a NGH), and rainfall events (days 1-3). Runoff generated during three 30-min simulated rainfall events was sampled and analyzed for antimicrobials and ARGs. Manure amendment was responsible for the presence of antimicrobial tylosin ( < 0.0001) and tylosin resistance gene (B) ( < 0.0001) in runoff. Narrow grass hedges proved to be effective in reducing tylosin ( < 0.0001) and (B) ( < 0.0347) in runoff. Manure amendment was responsible for the introduction of tylosin ( < 0.0482) and (B) ( = 0.0128) into the soil; however, it had no significant impact on the abundance of the 16S rRNA gene in soil. Results from this study suggest that NGHs could be a best management practice to control the transport of antimicrobials and ARGs in agricultural runoff., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

Contaminants including titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO2), as well as organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs), have been detected in wastewater treatment plant effluents, however, no information is yet available on how OWCs may modify the surface properties of TiO2 nanoparticles, or influence their stability in water and subsequent mobility in porous media. In this study, 17β-estradiol (E2) was chosen as a representative OWC to investigate the interaction between OWCs and n-TiO2. Batch and kinetic sorption experiments and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer measurements confirmed that E2 was quickly sorbed onto the surface of n-TiO2 aggregates in water. Aggregation experiments showed that the presence of E2 has a minor influence on the size of n-TiO2 aggregates under lower ionic strength conditions at natural pH. In high ionic strength solution, the presence of E2 led to an increased average hydrodynamic diameter and a wider distribution of n-TiO2 aggregate sizes. Interaction energy analyses indicated that steric repulsion likely contributed to the stability of the n-TiO2 suspension in the presence of E2. Mobility analysis based on the clean bed filtration theory indicated that the impact of E2 on the mobility of n-TiO2 in porous media is minimal in comparison to the influence of solution ionic strength., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although illicit drugs are detected in surface waters throughout the world, their environmental fate and ecological effects are not well understood. Many illicit drugs and their breakdown products have been detected in surface waters and temporal and spatial variability in use translates into "hot spots and hot moments" of occurrence. Illicit drug occurrence in regions of production and use and areas with insufficient wastewater treatment are not well studied and should be targeted for further study. Evidence suggests that illicit drugs may not be persistent, as their half-lives are relatively short, but may exhibit "pseudo-persistence" wherein continual use results in persistent occurrence. We reviewed the literature on the ecological effects of these compounds on aquatic organisms and although research is limited, a wide array of aquatic organisms, including bacteria, algae, invertebrates, and fishes, have receptors that make them potentially sensitive to these compounds. In summary, illicit drugs occur in surface waters and aquatic organisms may be affected by these compounds; research is needed that focuses on concentrations of illicit drugs in areas of production and high use, environmental fate of these compounds, and effects of these compounds on aquatic ecosystems at the concentrations that typically occur in the environment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceutical fate in surface water depends on a combination of physical and chemical processes, but currently, little information is available on cumulative dissipation rates in effluent-dominated receiving waters. In this study, dissipation rates were calculated for pharmaceutical compounds in two streams receiving municipal wastewater effluents using results from passive samplers. Seventeen pharmaceuticals were detected at the two sampling locations, and first-order dissipation rates were found to range between 0.03 and -0.02 h, indicating that some compounds were conserved, while others rapidly dissipated over several kilometers downstream of the source., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

Human pathogens can internalize food crops through root and surface uptake and persist inside crop plants. The goal of the study was to elucidate the global modulation of bacteria and plant protein expression after Salmonella internalizes lettuce. A quantitative proteomic approach was used to analyse the protein expression of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis and lettuce cultivar Green Salad Bowl 24 h after infiltrating S. Infantis into lettuce leaves. Among the 50 differentially expressed proteins identified by comparing internalized S. Infantis against S. Infantis grown in Luria Broth, proteins involved in glycolysis were down-regulated, while one protein involved in ascorbate uptake was up-regulated. Stress response proteins, especially antioxidant proteins, were up-regulated. The modulation in protein expression suggested that internalized S. Infantis might utilize ascorbate as a carbon source and require multiple stress response proteins to cope with stresses encountered in plants. On the other hand, among the 20 differentially expressed lettuce proteins, proteins involved in defense response to bacteria were up-regulated. Moreover, the secreted effector PipB2 of S. Infantis and R proteins of lettuce were induced after bacterial internalization into lettuce leaves, indicating human pathogen S. Infantis triggered the defense mechanisms of lettuce, which normally responds to plant pathogens., (© 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Endocrine disrupting effects in aquatic organisms have been observed in systems influenced by steroid hormones. Associating endocrine disruption with aqueous concentrations of steroids alone may overlook the influence of source-sink dynamics in sediments on steroid hormone bioavailability. The objective of this study was to determine the fate of 17β-estradiol and 17β-trenbolone in two field sediments and to evaluate the corresponding bioavailability of the compounds to the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Steroid fate was evaluated using analytical chemistry and verified by assessing the biological activity using yeast based in vitro assays. Effective bioavailability of the steroids was inferred from changes in hepatic vitellogenin expression (increased expression in males exposed to 17β-estradiol, and reduced expression in females exposed to 17β-trenbolone). In experiments conducted with 17β-estradiol, no induction of hepatic vitellogenin mRNA expression was observed in male fish exposed to sediment-associated 17β-estradiol. In contrast, female minnows exposed to sediment-associated 17β-trenbolone experienced significant reductions in hepatic vitellogenin compared to negative controls. In both systems, the parent compounds were shown to degrade rapidly to the more persistent metabolites, estrone and trendione, both of which were found predominantly associated with the sediments. Results from the yeast estrogen screen indicate a reduction in biological activity as biotransformation of 17β-estradiol occurs; results from the yeast anti-estrogen screen were inconclusive and unable to substantiate 17β-trenbolone fate in aquatic systems. Collectively, these data support the contention that steroid hormones associated with the sediment can become bioavailable to fish, and that sediment characteristics influence the observed bioavailability of these compounds., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The behavior of three antibiotics (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, and tylosin) and two classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), tet and erm, were monitored in swine manure slurry under anaerobic conditions. First-order decay rates were determined for each antibiotic with half-lives ranging from 1 day (chlortetracycline) to 10 days (tylosin). ARGs were monitored in the swine manure slurry, and losses of approximately 1 to 3 orders of magnitude in relative abundance were observed during the 40 day storage period. First-order degradation profiles were observed for chlortetracycline and its corresponding resistance genes, tet(X) and tet(Q). Tylosin was degraded to approximately 10% of the starting concentration by day 40; however, the relative abundance of erm(B) remained at 50-60% of the initial relative abundance while the relative abundance of erm(F) decreased by 80-90%, consistent with tylosin. These results indicate that tet resistance genes respond primarily to chlortetracycline antimicrobials, and may be lost when the parent tetracycline compound is degraded. In contrast, erm(B) resistance gene may respond to a range of antimicrobials in animal manure, and may persist despite losses of tylosin., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

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%., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

Among the conventional disposal methods for livestock mortalities, on-farm burial is a preferred method, but the potential water quality impacts of animal carcass burial are not well understood. Typically, on-farm burial pits are constructed without liners and any leachate produced may infiltrate into soil and groundwater. To date, no information is available on temporal trends for contaminants in leachate produced from livestock mortality pits. In our study, we examined the concentrations of conventional contaminants including electrical conductivity, COD, TOC, TKN, TP, and solids, as well as veterinary antimicrobials and steroid hormones in leachate over a period of 20 months. Most of the contaminants were detected in leachate after 50 days of decomposition, reaching a peak concentration at approximately 200 days and declined to baseline levels by 400 days. The estrogen 17β-estradiol and a veterinary antimicrobial, monensin, were observed at maximum concentrations of 20,069 ng/L and 11,980 ng/L, respectively. Estimated mass loading of total steroid hormone and veterinary pharmaceuticals were determined to be 1.84 and 1.01 μg/kg of buried cattle carcass materials, respectively. These data indicate that leachate from carcass burial sites represents a potential source of nutrients, organics, and residues of biologically active micro-contaminants to soil and groundwater., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Due to the use of antimicrobials in livestock production, residual antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) could enter the environment following the land application of animal wastes and could further contaminate surface and groundwater. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of various manure land application methods on the fate and transport of antimicrobials and ARGs in soil and runoff following land application of swine manure slurry. Swine manure slurries were obtained from facilities housing pigs that were fed chlortetracyline, tylosin or bacitracin and were land applied via broadcast, incorporation, and injection methods. Three rainfall simulation tests were then performed on amended and control plots. Results show that land application methods had no statistically significant effect on the aqueous concentrations of antimicrobials in runoff. However, among the three application methods tested broadcast resulted in the highest total mass loading of antimicrobials in runoff from the three rainfall simulation tests. The aqueous concentrations of chlortetracyline and tylosin in runoff decreased in consecutive rainfall events, although the trend was only statistically significant for tylosin. For ARGs, broadcast resulted in significantly higher erm genes in runoff than did incorporation and injection methods. In soil, the effects of land application methods on the fate of antimicrobials in top soil were compound specific. No clear trend was observed in the ARG levels in soil, likely because different host cells may respond differently to the soil environments created by various land application methods.

Approximately 2.2million cattle carcasses require disposal annually in the United States. Land burial is a convenient disposal method that has been widely used in animal production for disposal of both daily mortalities as well as during catastrophic mortality events. To date, greenhouse gas production after mortality burial has not been quantified, and this study represents the first attempt to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from land burial of animal carcasses. In this study, anaerobic decomposition of both homogenized and unhomogenized cattle carcass material was investigated using bench-scale reactors. Maximum yields of methane and carbon dioxide were 0.33 and 0.09m(3)/kg dry material, respectively, a higher methane yield than that previously reported for municipal solid waste. Variability in methane production rates were observed over time and between reactors. Based on our laboratory data, annual methane emissions from burial of cattle mortalities in the United States could total 1.6Tg CO(2) equivalents. Although this represents less than 1% of total emissions produced by the agricultural sector in 2009, greenhouse gas emissions from animal carcass burial may be significant if disposal of swine and poultry carcasses is also considered., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Prion diseases, including chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie, can be transmitted via indirect environmental routes. Animals habitually ingest soil, and results from laboratory experiments demonstrate prions can bind to a wide range of soils and soil minerals, retain the ability to replicate, and remain infectious, indicating soil could serve as a reservoir for natural prion transmission and a potential prion exposure route for humans. Preliminary epidemiological modeling suggests soil texture may influence the incidence of prion disease. These results are supported by experimental work demonstrating variance in prion interactions with soil, including variance in prion soil adsorption and soil-bound prion replication with respect to soil type. Thus, local soil type may be a key determinant of prion incidence. Further experimental and epidemiological work is required to fully elucidate the dynamics of soil-mediated prion transmission, an effort that should lead to effective disease management and mitigation strategies., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, transmissible prion disease that affects captive and free-ranging deer, elk, and moose. Although the zoonotic potential of CWD is considered low, identification of multiple CWD strains and the potential for agent evolution upon serial passage hinders a definitive conclusion. Surveillance for CWD in free-ranging populations has documented a continual geographic spread of the disease throughout North America. CWD prions are shed from clinically and preclinically affected hosts, and CWD transmission is mediated at least in part by the environment, perhaps by soil. Much remains unknown, including the sites and mechanisms of prion uptake in the naive host. There are no therapeutics or effective eradication measures for CWD-endemic populations. Continued surveillance and research of CWD and its effects on cervid ecosystems is vital for controlling the long-term consequences of this emerging disease.

Supplements and growth promotants containing steroid hormones are routinely administered to beef cattle to improve feeding efficiency, reduce behavioral problems, and enhance production. As a result, beef cattle manure will contain both synthetic steroids as well as a range of endogenous steroids including androgens, estrogens, and progestogens. A two-year controlled study was conducted in which beef cattle were administered steroid hormones via subcutaneous implants and feed additives and the occurrence of 16 endogenous and synthetic steroid hormones and metabolites was evaluated in runoff from beef cattle feedlots and in manure and soil collected from feedlot surfaces. Samples were extracted and analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometryfor metabolites of the synthetic androgen trenbolone acetate, 17α-trenbolone, 17β-trenbolone, for the nonsteroidal semisynthetic estrogen agonist, α-zearalanol, and the synthetic progesterone melengesterol acetate, as well as a wide range of endogeneous estrogens, androgens, and fusarium metabolites. Synthetic steroids including trenbolone metabolites and melengestrol acetate were detected in fresh manure and in feedlot surface soils from cattle administered synthetic steroids at concentrations up to 55 ± 22 ng/g dry weight (dw) (17α-trenbolone) and 6.5 ± 0.4 ng/g dw (melengesterol acetate). Melengesterol acetate was detected in 6% of runoff samples from feedlots holding cattle administered synthetic steroids at concentrations ranging up to 115 ng/L. The presence of melengesterol acetate in runoff from beef cattle feeding operations has not been previously reported. Synthetic steroids were not detected in manure or runoff from control cattle. A wide range of endogenous hormones were detected in runoff and feedlot surface soils and manure from cattle given synthetic steroids and from control cattle, with no statistically significant differences in concentration. These results indicate that runoff from confined animal production facilities is of environmental and public health concern regardless of the use of growth promotants.

Before prion uptake and infection can occur in the lower gastrointestinal system, ingested prions are subjected to anaerobic digestion in the rumen of cervids and bovids. The susceptibility of soil-bound prions to rumen digestion has not been evaluated previously. In this study, prions from infectious brain homogenates as well as prions bound to a range of soils and soil minerals were subjected to in vitro rumen digestion, and changes in PrP levels were measured via western blot. Binding to clay appeared to protect noninfectious hamster PrP(c) from complete digestion, while both unbound and soil-bound infectious PrP(Sc) proved highly resistant to rumen digestion. In addition, no change in intracerebral incubation period was observed following active rumen digestion of unbound hamster HY TME prions and HY TME prions bound to a silty clay loam soil. These results demonstrate that both unbound and soil-bound prions readily survive rumen digestion without a reduction in infectivity, further supporting the potential for soil-mediated transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie in the environment.

The goal of the current study was to determine whether sediments from agriculturally intense watersheds can act as a potential source of anti-estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds. The specific objectives of the current study were to determine (1) whether female fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) experience alterations in endocrine function when exposed to sediments collected from agriculturally intense watersheds and (2) if these sediments display anti-estrogenic activity in an in vitro assay. In addition, sediment samples were analyzed for the presence of steroid hormones and pesticides associated with local agricultural practices. To accomplish this, sediments and water were collected from three sites within two agriculturally intense Nebraska watersheds (Bow Creek and the Elkhorn River). In 2009, minnows were exposed to sediment and/or water collected from the two Bow Creek sites (East Bow Creek and the Confluence) in the laboratory, while in 2010, minnows were exposed to sediment and/or water from East Bow Creek, the Confluence and the Elkhorn River. Following the 7-day exposure period, the hepatic mRNA expression of two-estrogen responsive genes, estrogen receptor α (ERα) and vitellogenin (Vtg) was determined. In 2009, females exposed to Confluence sediments, in the presence of laboratory water or Confluence water, experienced significant reductions in ERα expression relative to unexposed and Confluence water-exposed females. The defeminization of these females suggests the presence of a biologically available anti-estrogenic compound in sediments collected from this site. In 2010, sediments were assessed for anti-estrogenic activity on days 0 and 7 of the exposure period using a 4-h yeast estrogen screen. Lipophilic extracts (LEs) of day 0 sediments collected from the Confluence and the Elkhorn River induced significant reductions in the estrogenic reporter activity of treated yeast cultures suggesting the presence of a lipophilic anti-estrogenic compound in these extracts. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of a variety of steroid hormones, including those associated with the production of beef cattle (i.e. β-trenbolone, α-zearalanol and α-zearalenol), in sediments indicating that compounds utilized by local beef cattle operations are capable of entering nearby watersheds. Overall, the results of this study indicate that an environmentally relevant anti-estrogenic compound is present in sediments from agriculturally intense watersheds and that this compound is bioavailable to fish. Furthermore, the presence of steroid hormones in sediments from these watersheds provides evidence indicating that steroids are capable of sorbing to sediments., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie can be transmitted through indirect environmental routes, possibly via soil, and a practical decontamination strategy for prion-contaminated soil is currently unavailable. In the laboratory, an enzymatic treatment under environmentally relevant conditions (22°C, pH 7.4) can degrade soil-bound PrPSc below the limits of Western blot detection. We developed and used a quantitative serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) protocol to characterize the amplification efficiency of treated soil samples relative to controls of known infectious titer. Our results suggest large (10(4)- to >10(6)-fold) decreases in soil-bound prion infectivity following enzyme treatment, demonstrating that a mild enzymatic treatment could effectively reduce the risk of prion disease transmission via soil or other environmental surfaces.