IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY OF HYDROPONICALLY GROWN FRESH PRODUCE USING PHOTOCHEMICALLY TREATED RECYCLED WASTEWATER

This project aims to improve food safety of hydroponically grown fresh produce using recycled wastewater by developing a novel photochemical water treatment for pathogen inactivation and establishing a quantitative pathogen risk assessment framework. Water reuse in hydroponics systems offers a sustainable and new approach for urban farming but poses new challenges for food safety. Persulfate-based photochemical water treatment is an efficient water reuse technology advantageous in agriculture, and the proposed pathogen-plant transport modeling framework is a unique tool to minimize food safety risks. Combining these engineering and computational techniques will improve food safety.This projectwill enhance the PD's knowledge in pathogen control and microbial risk assessment, and it will generate exciting ideas on food safety improvement. The project directly addresses the goals of Foundational and Applied Science Program Area Priorities relating to food safety, nutrition and health, and natural resources and environment.