Fwd: Antibiotics in cow/horse/pig/etc manure

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  • To: m*@worldnet.att.net
  • Subject: Re: Antibiotics in cow/horse/pig/etc manure
  • From: M*@aol.com
  • Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 22:50:09 EDT
  • Full-name: Meconella
In a message dated 6/15/99 10:43:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
millero@worldnet.att.net writes:

<< I have asked the same question about steroids and growth hormones (on other
 lists) but have never received a reply.  There are some substances in
 cattle feed that must be withheld from cattle for a specified amount of time
 before slaughter, otherwise they could be present in the meat.  One would
 assume they could also be passed through the digestive system and show up in
 the manure.  -Olin
  >>

Just a guess, but I would suspect that unless the offending substances you 
mention got on the surface of the leaves or edible roots and caused a problem 
because of this external contact,  they wouldnt actually get inside the 
plant.  Things that enter plant systems via roots do so dissolved in water in 
the forms of ions through a complex membrane system.  Plants have what are 
called differentially permeable membranes which allow some things in and not 
others.  One the factors that influence what passes through is simply the 
size of the molecule and things such as hormones are rather large complex 
organic chemicals which are simply too large to pass through.  Of course 
there are things that are harmful to plants and/or man that can get through 
via either the roots or surface contact on leaves.  It just depends what the 
substances are and where they contact the plant.  

Janet

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