Abstract: Anthropic activities are responsible for the contamination of the environment with a wide range of molecules which
may cause harmful effects such as hormonal disorders on wildlife. Among the pollutants recognised as endocrine
disruptors, steroid hormones are the most active on the human estrogen receptor. In fact, steroid hormones
may induce endocrine disruption on some aquatic species at nanogram per liter levels (Filby et al., 2007). The
second potential source of steroid hormones after domestic wastewaters is the breeding activities. Indeed, animals
produce high quantities of natural hormones which are excreted in urines and faeces. Steroid hormones may be
transfer to the soil through manure spreading on agricultural soils as source of nitrogen and phosphorus, and by
leaching and runoff, they may contaminate ground and surface waters. Due to the intensive pig breeding, different
countries are concerned by the yearly release of several tons of estrogens, androgens and progestagens contained in
manure wastes. In the other hand, manure treatment facilities represent an interesting zone of action to reduce the
hormone content of manure and, by this way, to limit the environmental impact of spreading practices. Nowadays,
manure is generally stored in anaerobic tanks with any control and, less frequently, manure is treated by aerobicanoxic
processes. However, these existing manure storage and treatment facilities have never been assessed for their
capacities to eliminate hormones. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of steroid in the context of
French swine manure treatment facilities using an integrative approach coupling chemical analysis and
ecotoxicological measurements.
