278 Ecological Sustainability
runoff into surface water and introduction into drinking water. Some 60% of
biosolids are applied to agricultural elds to grow crops (Borch 2010), mak-
ing them susceptible to runoff.
Synthetic steroid hormones, which are more resistant to biotransformation
than endogenous steroids, are particularly persistent through various forms
of transmission, including passage through soil and water (Kolodziej 2010).
This is of concern because exogenous hormones (both natural and synthetic)
act as endocrine disruptors in humans, with various health and develop-
mental consequences.
5.2.4.1 Types of Hormones Used
Growth promoters commonly used in CAFOs include synthetic steroids
as well as naturally occurring hormones. ...