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<ol> <li> Determine metabolic variables (rates of absorption, tissue and
microbial biotransformation, excretion) that positively or negatively influence the
practical use of novel pre-harvest food safety chemicals in food animals.
<li> Determine the fate of endogenous animal hormones, novel pre-harvest
food safety compounds, and antibiotics in animal wastes, including their transport
through soil and water, and develop intervention strategies that reduce their
environmental impact.
<li> Develop sensitive and accurate analytical tools to rapidly detect and
quantify agriculturally important chemicals studied under objectives 1 and 2.</ol>
The broad objective of this proposal is to determine the fate of chemicals in food
animals and in the environment (excreta, soil, water) after elimination from food
animals. We will study endogenously produced steroid hormones, novel developmental
oxyanions, novel developmental nitro-compounds, and antibiotics. Endogenous steroid
hormones (estrogens) are highly potent endocrine-disrupting compounds that may
concentrate in intensive food-animal production settings. Novel developmental
compounds show promise for food-safety applications in ruminant, non-ruminant, and
avian food animals. <P>
Specifically we plan to 1) determine the metabolic variables
(i.e., absorption, tissue and microbial biotransformation, rates of excretion) that
positively or negatively influence the food safety (i.e., tissue residues) of
developmental oxyanions such as chlorate salts and novel nitro-compounds such as 2-
nitropropanol in food animals; 2) determine the fate of steroid hormones,
antibiotics, and developmental compounds in manure management systems of animals and
in soils with the goal of gaining an understanding of the impact that residues of
such chemicals may have in intensive food animal production settings; and 3) we will
develop analytical tools for the accurate measurement and(or) identification of these
analytes or their metabolites.