here's a pdf of the history of DES
http://www.asas.org/Bios/Raunhist.pdf


Hormones Nothing to Moo About

by James Politte





Photo by James Politte
Researchers are looking into what hormones beef cattle have been given to increase their muscle-building potential, and what effect they may have on the environment. According to a recent issue of Science News, farmers raise over 35 million cattle a year-two thirds of which receive hormone supplementation in some form. Although the practice has been widely accepted in the United States for decades, the European Union (EU) has banned the import of hormone-treated animal meat since 1988.
Many cattle are fed muscle-building androgens-normally testosterone surrogates-or estrogens, the primary female sex hormone. Farmers have given the synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) to cattle, effectively chemically castrating male animals. Resources that previously went toward the reproduction process are diverted, effectively increasing the animal's growth rate. Researchers like John A. McLachlan have shown concern that approximately 13 tons of DES a year are released into the environment through beef cattle manure.

Hormones are given to cows in several ways, from the food that they eat to special pellets, which are implanted in the ear. Farmers receive a better financial return on their investment by using such techniques. Because treated animals are able to produce muscle with less feed, farmers increase their profits by up to $40 per animal. The cost of a hormone treatment for each cow ranges from $1 to $3.

Although the EU banned the import of hormone-treated animals, it appears that farmers in the Union are still using hormones to increase growth rates in their cattle stocks. According to Rainer Stephany of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (The Netherlands), a "defensible overall estimate for the use of (hormone) compounds in the European Union, based on results from annual regulatory residue-testing programs, could be in the range of 5 to 15 percent" of beef cattle.

Many women around the world use hormones in their reproductive years for birth control, and after menopause, they may use estrogen replacement therapy. A 1998 issue of Environmental Science & Technology reported that high levels of synthetic and natural hormones in wastewater have been linked to endocrine disruption in fish, according to a Michigan State University study. Gary Ankley, an Environmental Protection Agency toxicologist, noted, "This is a significant, if not a surprising, result."

The Food and Drug Administration approved specific hormones "for use in very small amounts to increase the rate of weight gain and/or improve feed efficiency in beef cattle and sheep." However, the government is continuing research into waste management and environmental protection.

Toward the end of his second term, President Clinton released the Clean Water Action Plan. The main goal of the plan was to protect water quality, in part through better sewage treatment. The plan identified polluted runoff as a flash point. The result was a unified effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, which yielded the Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations.

Environmental concerns are being addressed on many fronts, yet there is still a lot to be learned. Approximately 10% of female and male hormones administered to cattle pass through their systems and are excreted into their manure. Better management of animal waste may help alleviate environmental concerns. The key is to increase awareness.



Last Updated: 2002-01-28

Copyright (c) 2007 American Chemical Society.
All Rights Reserved.