THISPROJECT 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. WE WILL EMPLOY EFFICIENT PHOTO-OXIDANTS UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT IRRADIATION TO INACTIVATE PATHOGENS IN RECYCLED WASTEWATER INCLUDING NOROVIRUS, AND DEVELOP A PATHOGEN TRANSPORT MODEL TO QUANTITATIVELY ASSESS MICROBIAL RISK AND FOOD SAFETY GROWN IN HYDROPONICS SYSTEMS.WATER REUSE IN HYDROPONICS SYSTEMS OFFERS A SUSTAINABLE AND NEW APPROACH FOR URBAN FARMING BUT POSES NEW CHALLENGES FOR FOOD SAFETY.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 PROJECT INVOLVES A COMBINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL, MICROBIAL AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS AT ONE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXTENSION CENTER AND TWO LAND GRANT INSTITUTIONS IN ARID SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE (UCR) AND UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE (UCI) - BOTH BEING HISPANIC-SERVING DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS.THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE OVERALL POTENTIAL OF LONG-RANGE IMPROVEMENT IN AND SUSTAINABILITY OF U.S. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS.FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS ARE UNDER THE CONSTRAINTS OF A GROWING POPULATION AND PRESSURE ON WATER RESOURCES, CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE.?