HUMAN HEALTH IS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY THE SAFETY, QUALITY, AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD. KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL ENHANCE THE CHEMICAL SAFETY AND QUALITY OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND ANIMAL HEALTH BY IMPROVING CONTROL APPROACHES AND DETECTION METHODS FOR TOXIC HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION. THE EXPOSURE TO TOXIC HEAVY METALS ON FARMS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED GLOBAL ISSUE. AGRICULTURE ECONOMY IS GREATLY IMPACTED BY CONTAMINATION DURING PRODUCTION. THUS, THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE PROGRAM ENCOURAGES DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL RAPID, LOW-COST AND EFFICIENT DETECTION METHODS OF FOODBORNE CONTAMINANTS. THE PROPOSAL HERE IS AIMED TO ADDRESS THIS GOAL BY DETECTING DIFFERENT HEAVY METAL ION CONTAMINANTS IN DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES. MERCURY IS ONE OF THE MOST TOXIC HEAVY METALS WHICH ACCUMULATES BIOLOGICALLY AND CAUSES VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. THOUGH NOT CONSIDERED AS TOXIC AS MERCURY, INORGANIC SILVER IS ANOTHER HIGHLY TOXIC METAL ION WHICH CAN ALSO RESULT IN A VARIETY OF HUMAN HEALTH PROBLEMS AND IS FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY TOXIC TO AQUATIC ANIMALS. LEAD, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS TOXIC AND CONSIDERED AS A VERY STRONG POISON. LEAD POISONING, WHICH OCCURS FROM A BUILDUP IN THE BODY, CAN CAUSE PERMANENT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO INDIVIDUALS. THE AMOUNT OF MERCURY, LEAD AND SILVER CAN BE FOUND ABOVE ITS TOLERABLE CONTAMINATION LEVEL IN WATER, SOIL AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AND CAN BE INGESTED THROUGH DRINKING WATER AND THE FOOD CHAIN. THEREFORE, IT IS CRITICAL TO MONITOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FOR POTENTIAL HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION.