A Tiered Framework for Evaluating Contaminants of Emerging Concerns (CECs) to Protect Food Safety

The overall aim of this study is to develop a modular, process-based framework for holistically describing and predicting accumulation of CECs in the edible tissue of food crops. Specifically, we will:1) Conduct literature search and data mining to quantify the chemical flux of various CECs entering agroecosystems. The relative importance of different entry routes for different classes of CECs and different applications of waste materials will be determined.2) Integrate QSPR modeling, literature review, and soil incubation experiments to evaluate stability of CECs in soil and identify "soil accumulative" CECs, from which determine the availability of CECs for uptake into the root.3) Through QSPR modeling, data mining, and hydroponic and greenhouse cultivation experiments, predict accumulation CECs into the root and identify "root accumulative" CECs, from which determine the chemical flux of CECs from soil to root and the chemical pool for translocation to other parts of the plant.4) Through QSPR modeling, data mining, and cell and soil cultivation experiments, evaluate accumulation of CECs in leaves or fruits. Levels of CECs in edible plant parts may be used by others to estimate human exposure through dietary intakes of vegetables and fruits that are grown with the use of reclaimed wastewater, biosolids, or animal waste.