How Food Crops Become Contaminated with Heavy Metals: Multivariable Analysis in Climate and Field Conditions

The major goal of this project is to elucidatemultiplefactors such as soil properties (e.g., soil wetting-drying patterns), field topography, climate, and crop traits responsible for contamination of food crops by heavy metals (As, Cd, and Pb). We hypothesize that field topography and soil wetting-drying cycles are major determinants for mobilization of heavy metals to soil pore water and subsequent crop contamination. This project has three objectives:1) Investigate the mobilization of heavy metals (As, Cd, and Pb) and their uptake by food crops (carrot and wheat) at various growth stages under archetypical soil wetting-drying periods in well-controlled greenhouse microcosms;2) Study the spatiotemporal variability of crop uptake of heavy metals (As, Cd, and Pb) across carrot and wheat fields;3) Develop multivariable plant uptake, exposure, and risk models and management guidelines for mitigating heavy metal accumulation in food crops.