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The ultimate goal of the program is to inform the public and policy makers about risks and benefits of agricultural and emerging chemical uses. Subprograms focus on analytical methods development for pesticides and emerging contaminants (fluorochemicals); bioavailability of contaminants to aquatic organisms; biomarkers of contaminant exposure in fish; understanding pesticide exposure and risk to aquatic and terrestrial arthropods, other aquatic organisms, and humans; and atmospheric transport and deposition of pesticides.<P> Specific objectives are to: (1) Identify, develop, and/or validate trace analytical methods for agricultural chemicals and other contaminants, as well as biomarkers (Anderson, Curtis, Field, Jenkins, Simonich and Sudakin); (2) Characterize abiotic and biotic reaction pathways, transformation rates, and fate in agricultural and natural ecosystems (Anderson, Field, Jenkins, Jepson and Simonich); (3) Determine adverse impacts from contaminant exposure to cells, organisms, and ecosystems (Anderson, Curtis, Field, Jenkins, Jepson, Simonich, and Sudakin); and (4) Develop technologies that mitigate adverse human and environmental impacts (Field, Jenkins, and Sudakin).
Non-Technical Summary: Economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture requires an integrated approach to pest management. Agricultural chemicals are one of many tools used to ensure an abundant food supply. Judicious use of agricultural chemicals demands practical knowledge of their fate and effects in agricultural and natural ecosystems. A mechanistic approach will allow for development of novel physical and biological analytical techniques to assist in ascertaining fate and effects. This new knowledge is required for the advancement of science-based management strategies which prevent or mitigate unacceptable adverse impacts on human and environmental health. The ultimate goal of the program is to inform the public and policy makers about risks and benefits of agricultural and emerging chemical uses. <P> Approach: The subprogram Fate of Bioavailable Agrichemicals and Environmental Contaminants seeks to develop sampling devices and methods to measure contaminants and effects on bioavailabilty. The methods used will be to utilize in-situ monitoring probes that by design measure bioavailable chemical species. Investigators will conduct field studies to investigate the impact of heavy metals fertilizer applications on total metals and bioavailable metals at agriculturally relevant sites. The subprogram Biomarkers for persistent contaminants in aquatic ecosystems seeks to identify proteins that are potential new biomarkers for exposure to and effects of persistent contaminants in fish. Investigators will expose rainbow trout to persistent contaminants at overtly nontoxic concentrations and then study kidney and liver tissue for immune cell development and contaminant metabolism and excretion. Investigators studying the Ecotoxicology of Pesticides in order to more effectively advance and transfer science to agricultural and regulatory stakeholders, will employ the following procedures: 1) build "passive sampling device" capacity at a laboratory in Senegal; 2) develop and refine a community-level survey tool; 3) develop a preliminary census of systems likely to be impacted by pesticides; 4) develop initial stages of a Pesticide Fate and Transport Model; 5) provide technical guidance on the development of program to identify chemicals used by farmers; and 6) assess the feasibility of adapting Pesticide Environmental Assessment System (PEAS) to the West African context. Investigators studying ecological risks to aquatic and terrestrial arthropods exposed to IPM practices will review and analyze existing risk assessment procedures. They will then develop new procedures to ecological risk assessment for non-target invertebrates in GM cropping systems. The subprogram Atmospheric Transport and Deposition of Agricultural Chemicals to Remote ecosystems seeks to identify, develop, and or validate trace analytical methods for agricultural chemicals and other contaminants, as well as biomarkers. Investigators will develop analytical methods to measure a wide range of agricultural chemicals in a large number of matrices collected from remote ecosystems. Investigators seeking to determine the adverse impacts from contaminant exposure to cells, organisms, and ecosystems will employ the following procedures: 1) assess the incidence of human pesticide exposures throughout the state; 2) explore poison control database using Geographic Information Systems and spatial scan statistics in order to determine regional and temporal variations; 3) summarize and communicate specific findings on the regional epidemiology of pesticide exposure incidence to public health officials and other agencies. Appropriate IACUC and IRB approvals will be sought.