** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF FOOD, PARTICULARLY INFANT FOOD, IS A SIGNIFICANT FOOD SAFETY RISK IN THE UNITED STATES. CROP UPTAKE OF HEAVY METALS ARE VERY VARIABLE AND DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, DUE TO MULTIPLE SOIL, FIELD, CLIMATE, AND PLANT FACTORS, POSING GREAT CHALLENGE TO MINIMIZING HEAVY METALS IN FOOD CROPS. IN THIS PROJECT RESEARCHERS FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY WILL EXAMINE MULTIPLE FACTORS SUCH AS SOIL PROPERTIES (E.G., SOIL WETTING-DRYING PATTERNS), FIELD TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, AND CROP TRAITS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF FOOD CROPS. THIS PROJECT WILL ASSESS IF FIELD TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL WETTING-DRYING CYCLES ARE MAJOR DETERMINANTS FOR MOBILIZATION OF HEAVY METALS TO SOIL PORE WATER AND SUBSEQUENT CROP CONTAMINATION.SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL 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. THEN THE SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF CROP UPTAKE OF HEAVY METALS (AS, CD, AND PB) ACROSS CARROT AND WHEAT FIELDS WILL BE STUDIED. FINALLY, MULTIVARIABLE PLANT UPTAKE, EXPOSURE, AND RISK MODELS AND MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR MITIGATING HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN FOOD CROPS. THIS PROJECT WILL GENERATE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON FACTORS CONTROLLING CROP UPTAKE OF HEAVY METALS IN AGRICULTURAL FIELDS AND DEVELOP PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR FARMERS TO MITIGATE THE CONTAMINATION OF FOOD CROPS BY HEAVY METALS, THUS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF US AGRICULTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH.