Division/Committee: [ENVR] Division of Environmental Chemistry

The global demand for food is increasing due to the increasing global population. Fertilizers and pesticides in production agriculture and pharmaceutical compounds (e.g., antibiotics, hormones, and steroids) in animal agriculture are employed to promote the agricultural production of food. Moreover, non-conventional water resources such as reclaimed water are used to replace freshwater as irrigation water, especially in arid and semi-arid regions (e.g., the Mediterranean, the Middle East Region, and Africa). Livestock manure (includes liquid and solid forms of animal wastes) and biosolids (referring to stabilized sewage sludge) are applied in production agriculture as soil amendments due to their high concentrations of nutrients. Besides boosting food production, these practices will introduce contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) into the agroecosystems, such as microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). These introduced CECs will be accumulated in the compartments of agroecosystems (e.g., soils, waters, crops, and manure) and mobilized to surrounding environments. It will pose threats to food safety and adversely affect human health and natural environments. Therefore, understanding the CECs in agroecosystems is essential for developing appropriate management practices and strategies to ensure food safety. Here, we propose a symposium focusing on the occurrence, transport, and fate of CECs in agroecosystems under management practices and climate change to advance global food safety. This symposium will present the research in the field and laboratory studies to explore the CECs source, occurrence, transport, fate, and risk in agroecosystems from molecular to regional scales.

Alex Chow

Clemson University

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