Environmental concerns of roxarsone in broiler poultry feed and litter in Maryland, USA.

Roxarsone has been used extensively in the broiler chicken industry. We reviewed the environmental concerns of this usage. To summarize, arsenic added to poultry feed as roxarsone ends up in poultry litter.

Poultry litter-induced endocrine disruption in fathead minnow, sheepshead minnow, and mummichog laboratory exposures.

Animal feeding operations in the United States produce more than 500 million tons of manure annually. Disposal of poultry waste via application as fertilizer results in substantial runoff of poultry litter-associated contaminants (PLAC). Of particular concern are sex steroids, 17β-estradiol, estrone and testosterone, responsible for sex differentiation and development of reproductive structures.