RII Track 4: Development of Rigorous Techniques to Detect Polar Pesticides at Low Concentrations

草甘膦是世界上使用最广泛的除草剂，在径流中溶解、被侵蚀的沉积物吸附或被植物吸收时，往往被从施肥区输送到地表水中。有证据表明，草甘膦及其主要代谢物氨基甲基膦酸(AMPA)可能对人类健康构成风险，并对环境造成不利影响。对环境和人类健康影响的担忧继续增加，随着抗草甘膦作物的生产在农业中更有效地控制杂草，使用率也在增加。草甘膦的广泛使用可能导致草甘膦向饮用水水源的运输，特别是在喀斯特地貌。缺乏科学的理解和分析方法来分析低检测率和一致的监测数据的草甘膦和AMPA。这项拟议工作的目标是通过与马里兰大学巴尔的摩县(UMBC)环境工程负责人Lee Blaney博士建立合作伙伴关系，开发分析草甘膦和AMPA的分析方法。新的分析方法将支持一项长期合作，重点是检测和量化极地杀虫剂的发生情况，并为农业生态系统创建可持续性评估工具。这项工作的影响将为决策提供信息，并帮助农民进行可持续的农业生态系统管理。这项拟议工作的目标是开发分析草甘膦和AMPA的分析方法。新的分析方法将支持一项长期合作，重点是检测和量化极地杀虫剂的发生情况，并为农业生态系统创建可持续性评估工具。这项研究解决了在检测低浓度草甘膦和AMPA以及环境监测方面的知识和对灵敏分析方法的需求方面的重大差距。与马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校的Lee Blaney博士合作，将开发使用固相萃取和快速、容易、廉价、有效、坚固和安全的液相色谱-串联质谱仪萃取的新前处理方案。先前从喀斯特地貌上的流域收集的储存的冻水、沉积物和植物样本将被运送到UMBC，并使用所建议的方法进行分析。将产生低检测下限的草甘膦和AMPA的新数据；目前的方法不能提供足够的分辨率来检测低浓度的极性农药。分析结果将用于评估草甘膦和AMPA的发生、运输、去向、生态毒性和人类毒性。这项拟议的研究不仅开发了检测低浓度草甘膦和AMPA的变革性技术，而且为保护敏感物种和人类健康提供了现实世界的方法。研究活动将通过传统学术期刊和研究人员分析草甘膦和AMPA的入职培训模块进行传播。工程学中代表性不足的学生将参与培训的形成，以鼓励和支持研究发展、多样性和包容性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and is often transported from application areas to surface water when solubilized in runoff, sorbed to eroded sediment or taken up by plants. There is evidence that suggests both glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) may pose a risk to human health, as well as cause adverse effects in the environment. Concerns about impacts to the environment and human health continues to grow and application rates increase with production of glyphosate-resistant crops for more efficient weed control in agriculture. The widespread use of glyphosate may be resulting in glyphosate transport to drinking water resources, especially in karst topography. Scientific understanding and analytical methods for analyzing glyphosate and AMPA with low detection and consistent monitoring data is a lacking. The goal of this proposed work is to develop analytical methods for analyzing glyphosate and AMPA by establishing a partnership with Dr. Lee Blaney, a leader in environmental engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The new analytical methods will support a long-term collaboration focused on detecting and quantifying polar pesticides occurrence and creating sustainability assessment tools for agroecosystems. Implications of this work will inform decision-making and assist farmers in sustainable agroecosystem management.The goal of this proposed work is to develop analytical methods for analyzing glyphosate and AMPA. The new analytical methods will support a long-term collaboration focused on detecting and quantifying polar pesticides occurrence and creating sustainability assessment tools for agroecosystems. This research addresses a significant gap in knowledge and need for sensitive analytical methods for detecting glyphosate and AMPA at low concentrations and environmental monitoring. In collaboration with Dr. Lee Blaney at University of Maryland Baltimore County, new pretreatment protocols using solid phase extraction and quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy will be developed. Stored frozen water, sediment and plant samples collected previously from watersheds on karst topography will be transported to UMBC and analyzed using the proposed methods. New data for glyphosate and AMPA at low detection limit will be generated; current methods do not provide enough resolution for detecting polar pesticides at low concentrations. Analytical results will be used to evaluate the occurrence of glyphosate and AMPA, transport, fate, ecotoxicity, and human toxicity. This proposed research not only develops transformative techniques for detecting glyphosate and AMPA at low concentrations but provide real-world methods for safeguarding sensitive species and human health. Research activities will be disseminated through traditional academic journals and via on-boarding training modules for researchers analyzing glyphosate and AMPA. Underrepresented students in engineering will be engaged in the formation of the training to encourage and support research development, diversity and inclusion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.