** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** OUR AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ARE UNDER THREAT FROM POLLUTION, PARTICULARLY FROM CHEMICALS KNOWN AS PER- AND POLY-FLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS), WHICH ARE PERVASIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS. THESE CHEMICALS OFTEN ORIGINATE FROM MILITARY SITES, INDUSTRIAL AREAS LIKE REFINERIES, AND OTHER SOURCES SUCH AS AIRPORTS, AND HAVE BEEN FOUND IN AREAS SUCH AS THE RIO GRANDE BASIN IN EL PASO. THIS REGION INCLUDES A VAST NUMBER OF FARMS THAT CULTIVATE CROPS LIKE ALFALFA, A MAJOR AGRICULTURAL STAPLE. THE PRESENCE OF PFAS IN THE SOIL CAN DISRUPT THE NORMAL UPTAKE OF ESSENTIAL MINERALS BY CROPS, AFFECTING THEIR GROWTH, NUTRITIONAL QUALITY, AND SAFETY. THIS SITUATION NOT ONLY POSES A RISK TO LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND THE ECONOMY BUT ALSO RAISES SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH CONCERNS FOR THE COMMUNITY.IN RESPONSE TO THIS, OUR PROJECT AIMS TO EXPLORE THE USE OF ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES (ZNO-NPS) AS A NOVEL APPROACH TO MANAGE AND MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF PFAS ON CROPS. THESE NANOPARTICLES, COMMONLY USED IN AGRICULTURE TO ENHANCE NUTRIENT ABSORPTION AND PROTECT PLANTS FROM PESTS, WILL BE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN ALTERING THE BEHAVIOR OF PFAS IN THE SOIL. SPECIFICALLY, HOW THEY AFFECT THE TOXICITY, MOVEMENT, AND OVERALL AVAILABILITY OF THESE POLLUTANTS TO PLANTS. WE WILL CONDUCT CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS USING ALFALFA AS A MODEL CROP TO SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESS HOW NANOPARTICLES INTERACT WITH PFAS AND HOW THIS INTERACTION INFLUENCES THE PLANT'S UPTAKE OF ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS AND ITS OVERALL HEALTH.THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH IS TO PROVIDE ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS THAT CAN LEAD TO BETTER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURE, PARTICULARLY IN REGIONS AT HIGH RISK OF PFAS CONTAMINATION. BY UNDERSTANDING AND LEVERAGING THE PROPERTIES OF NANOPARTICLES, WE HOPE TO REDUCE THE UPTAKE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS BY CROPS, THEREBY IMPROVING FOOD SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS PROJECT COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SOCIETAL BENEFITS INCLUDING ENHANCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, IMPROVED ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR FARMING COMMUNITIES, AND REDUCED HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PFAS EXPOSURE. ULTIMATELY, OUR RESEARCH COULD OFFER A SCIENTIFICALLY BACKED STRATEGY THAT CAN BE USED NATIONALLY OR GLOBALLY IN SIMILAR AT-RISK AREAS, SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE FARMING AND HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.