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Performance of different composting techniques in reducing oestrogens content in manure from livestock in a Vietnamese setting

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Abstract

Steroid oestrogens (SE) are released by humans and animals into the environment. In the Mekong Delta animal excrement is directly discharged into surface water and can pollute the water. Only a few animal production sites are currently treating the excrement in either biogas plants or vermicomposting systems. The concentration of SE in manures from pigs and cattle was monitored in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Fresh cow faeces had an oestrogen concentration of 3.3 ng E2 eq/g dry weight. The SE concentration in effluent from biogas plants fed with animal manures was 341 ng E2 eq/L. Most of the SE were in the solid phase (77.9–98.7%). Vermicomposting reduced SE to 95% of the original input.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the WISDOM project. We would like to thank Prof. John P. Sumpter, Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, UK, for the donation of the yeast cells used in this experiment. In addition, the authors thank the Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for providing laboratory facilities. We also would like to thank the farmers in Can Tho city for assisting us in sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Plant Nutrition, INRES, University of Bonn, Karlrobert-Kreiten-Str. 13, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Thi Anh Hong Le, Joachim Clemens & Thai Hoa Nguyen

  2. Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy Science and Technology, 9/621 Ha Noi Highway, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Thi Anh Hong Le

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  1. Thi Anh Hong Le
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  2. Joachim Clemens
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  3. Thai Hoa Nguyen
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Correspondence to Thi Anh Hong Le.

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Le, T.A.H., Clemens, J. & Nguyen, T.H. Performance of different composting techniques in reducing oestrogens content in manure from livestock in a Vietnamese setting. Environ Monit Assess 185, 415–423 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2563-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2563-7

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