Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team
The Team Studies Toxicants and Pathogens
Associated with raising, processing, and manufacturing of animal products
The Team Studies Toxicants and Pathogens
Associated with growing, processing, and manufacturing of plant products
The Team Studies Microbial Contaminants
Associated with Production and Processing of Plant and Animal Products
The team studies the movement of toxicants and pathogens that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products through the environment where exposure can occur. This information is used to understand if there are adverse effects upon exposure and to develop decision tools to protect health.
Access to an adequate, safe, and sustainable supply of plant and animal products is one of the highest priorities for our society. During the growing and raising of such products requires the management of pests, diseases, and other threats by using a variety of tools such as organic and inorganic nutrients, pesticides, and veterinary pharmaceuticals. These tools often have the added advantage of improving crop yields and increasing livestock weight gain. Best management practices, manufacturer's guidance on safe use, and chemical registration and approval processes administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration help farmers minimize health threats. Public concerns, however, regarding potential health threats to fish, wildlife, livestock, and humans posed by use of these tools and management practices are common,and are often based on perceptions rather than scientific information. The Food Resources Lifecycle Science Team designs and implements interdisciplinary research needed to help understand whether these concerns are warranted, and provides objective, unbiased information that decision makers need to address legitimate concerns.
Scientific Focus
The Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team, part of the Environmental Health Program in the Ecosystems Mission Area, focuses on hazards to the environment and humans associated with complex chemical and biological contaminant mixtures (i.e., antibiotic resistance bacteria/genes, viruses, pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS], pharmaceuticals, microplastics, etc.) that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products. The team conducts research in both field and laboratory settings to collectively deliver science to document contaminant sources, fate/transport through the environment to points of exposure, and whether such contaminant exposures pose a health hazard either individually or as complex mixtures.
Research Trajectory
The Team's research consists of multi-year/multi-phased/multidisciplinary efforts conducted to answer questions of national and global significance. These studies build on the knowledge gained from previous research that identified chemical, microbial, and zoonotic environmental contaminants translating to wildlife and human exposures and potential effects. This research often employs a One Health (where human, plant, animal, and environmental interactions are characterized) combined with a source-to-receptor approach to understand chemical and biological contaminants in the environment from their sources through to aquatic and/or terrestrial organisms.
Priority Research Examples
Infectious avian Influenza (AIV) in environmental waters. AIV maintained in wild bird hosts is episodically spread to domestic poultry, which can lead to economically disastrous outbreaks. The Team is determining if the environment is a medium for maintenance and spread of AIV, which has important implications for the economy, food security, and human/animal health.
Environmental source and distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic genes (ARG). Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to human health globally. The Team is determining the role of environmental sources and transfer plays in the development and distribution of AMR and ARG using a One-Health approach that acknowledges the connection between the physical environment and the health of humans and wildlife.
Fate and effects of process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock processing plants. Municipal wastewater treatment plants and urban storm water runoff are well documented sources of environmental contaminants. This Team is providing a comparable understanding of chemical and biological contaminants from food-related plant discharges and their potential effects on humans and wildlife.
Environmental exposures and effects of recycled waste reuse on farmland. The demand for treated effluent reuse (as a beneficial source of water) and recycling of solid waste (as a beneficial source of nutrients) is growing and this Team is examining the potential effects and consequences of such reuse and recycling of liquid and solid waste onto farmland.
Effects of agricultural management practices on insect pollinators. Insect pollinators (both domestic and wild) provide a critical role through the maintenance of global plant diversity and pollination of food and fiber crops. Research is underway to better understand the effects of pesticides and other agricultural management practices on insect pollinators.
Environmental exposures to neonicotinoid insecticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides have quickly become the most widely used insecticide globally. Previous research has documented widespread environmental and human exposures and toxicity to selected organisms upon exposure. Consequently, additional research is underway to better understand human and wildlife environmental exposures to neonicotinoid pesticides and effects on humans and wildlife.
Related science products listed below.
Organic Contaminants in Reuse Waters and Transport Following Land Application
Pesticides Detected in Bees, Flowers, Soil, and Air within Pollinator-Attractive Row-Crop Border Plantings
Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Science to Understand Low-Level Exposures to Neonicotinoid Pesticides, their Metabolites, and Chlorinated Byproducts in Drinking Water
Effect of Chronic Neonicotinoid Insecticide Exposure upon Monarch Development
Scientists Examined Native Pollinator Exposure Risk to Neonicotinoids in Native Prairie Strips
Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes
Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions.
Water quality and atmospheric carbon dioxide data for field application of carbon dioxide during summer 2018 as a behavioral control method for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in southeastern Michigan water retention ponds.
Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Concentrations of pesticides in multiple matrices to measure exposure of wild bees visiting pollinator hedgerows in northern California
Concentrations of inorganic, organic, and microbial analytes from a national reconnaissance of wastewater from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities across the United States
Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
Water-quality data for a statewide assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) study in Iowa, 2019-2020
Temporal Viral Viability Data from Avian Influenza A Viruses Maintained in Alaska Wetlands Under Experimental and Environmental Conditions
Evaluation of ELISA for the Analysis of Imidacloprid in Plasma, Liver, and Fecal Matter
Temporal Viral Viability Data from Avian Influenza A Viruses Maintained in North American Wetlands Under Experimental and Environmental Conditions
Microbial and chemical contaminant occurrence and concentration in groundwater and surface water proximal to large-scale poultry facilities and poultry litter, 2016
Uptake and toxicity of clothianidin to monarch butterflies from milkweed consumption (ver. 2.0, January 2020)
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Prevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa
Contaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Pesticide prioritization by potential biological effects in tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes
Vegetative buffer strips show limited effectiveness for reducing antibiotic transport in surface runoff
Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Watershed-scale risk to aquatic organisms from complex chemical mixtures in the Shenandoah River
Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams
A comprehensive statewide spatiotemporal stream assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an agricultural region of the United States
Public concern regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown substantially in recent years. In addition, research has documented multiple potential agriculture-related release pathways for PFAS (e.g., biosolids and livestock manure). Nevertheless, little research on the environmental prevalence of PFAS has been conducted in agricultural regions of the United States. To fill this g
Evidence for interannual persistence of infectious influenza A viruses in Alaska wetlands
Evaluation of ELISA for the analysis of imidacloprid in biological matrices: Cross-reactivities, matrix interferences, and comparison to LC-MS/MS
Exposure and transport of alkaloids and phytoestrogens from soybeans to agricultural soils and streams in the Midwestern United States
The team studies the movement of toxicants and pathogens that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products through the environment where exposure can occur. This information is used to understand if there are adverse effects upon exposure and to develop decision tools to protect health.
Access to an adequate, safe, and sustainable supply of plant and animal products is one of the highest priorities for our society. During the growing and raising of such products requires the management of pests, diseases, and other threats by using a variety of tools such as organic and inorganic nutrients, pesticides, and veterinary pharmaceuticals. These tools often have the added advantage of improving crop yields and increasing livestock weight gain. Best management practices, manufacturer's guidance on safe use, and chemical registration and approval processes administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration help farmers minimize health threats. Public concerns, however, regarding potential health threats to fish, wildlife, livestock, and humans posed by use of these tools and management practices are common,and are often based on perceptions rather than scientific information. The Food Resources Lifecycle Science Team designs and implements interdisciplinary research needed to help understand whether these concerns are warranted, and provides objective, unbiased information that decision makers need to address legitimate concerns.
Scientific Focus
The Food Resources Lifecycle Integrated Science Team, part of the Environmental Health Program in the Ecosystems Mission Area, focuses on hazards to the environment and humans associated with complex chemical and biological contaminant mixtures (i.e., antibiotic resistance bacteria/genes, viruses, pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS], pharmaceuticals, microplastics, etc.) that could originate from the growing, raising, and processing/manufacturing of plant and animal products. The team conducts research in both field and laboratory settings to collectively deliver science to document contaminant sources, fate/transport through the environment to points of exposure, and whether such contaminant exposures pose a health hazard either individually or as complex mixtures.
Research Trajectory
The Team's research consists of multi-year/multi-phased/multidisciplinary efforts conducted to answer questions of national and global significance. These studies build on the knowledge gained from previous research that identified chemical, microbial, and zoonotic environmental contaminants translating to wildlife and human exposures and potential effects. This research often employs a One Health (where human, plant, animal, and environmental interactions are characterized) combined with a source-to-receptor approach to understand chemical and biological contaminants in the environment from their sources through to aquatic and/or terrestrial organisms.
Priority Research Examples
Infectious avian Influenza (AIV) in environmental waters. AIV maintained in wild bird hosts is episodically spread to domestic poultry, which can lead to economically disastrous outbreaks. The Team is determining if the environment is a medium for maintenance and spread of AIV, which has important implications for the economy, food security, and human/animal health.
Environmental source and distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic genes (ARG). Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to human health globally. The Team is determining the role of environmental sources and transfer plays in the development and distribution of AMR and ARG using a One-Health approach that acknowledges the connection between the physical environment and the health of humans and wildlife.
Fate and effects of process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock processing plants. Municipal wastewater treatment plants and urban storm water runoff are well documented sources of environmental contaminants. This Team is providing a comparable understanding of chemical and biological contaminants from food-related plant discharges and their potential effects on humans and wildlife.
Environmental exposures and effects of recycled waste reuse on farmland. The demand for treated effluent reuse (as a beneficial source of water) and recycling of solid waste (as a beneficial source of nutrients) is growing and this Team is examining the potential effects and consequences of such reuse and recycling of liquid and solid waste onto farmland.
Effects of agricultural management practices on insect pollinators. Insect pollinators (both domestic and wild) provide a critical role through the maintenance of global plant diversity and pollination of food and fiber crops. Research is underway to better understand the effects of pesticides and other agricultural management practices on insect pollinators.
Environmental exposures to neonicotinoid insecticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides have quickly become the most widely used insecticide globally. Previous research has documented widespread environmental and human exposures and toxicity to selected organisms upon exposure. Consequently, additional research is underway to better understand human and wildlife environmental exposures to neonicotinoid pesticides and effects on humans and wildlife.
Related science products listed below.
Organic Contaminants in Reuse Waters and Transport Following Land Application
Pesticides Detected in Bees, Flowers, Soil, and Air within Pollinator-Attractive Row-Crop Border Plantings
Study Provides a Data Resource for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Streams Within Iowa Agricultural Watersheds
Science to Understand Low-Level Exposures to Neonicotinoid Pesticides, their Metabolites, and Chlorinated Byproducts in Drinking Water
Effect of Chronic Neonicotinoid Insecticide Exposure upon Monarch Development
Scientists Examined Native Pollinator Exposure Risk to Neonicotinoids in Native Prairie Strips
Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes
Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Documented in Midwestern U.S. Streams
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Physiological and molecular endpoints observed in juvenile largemouth bass in response to an estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol) and subsequently a bacterial challenge (Edwardsiella piscicida) exposure under laboratory conditions.
Water quality and atmospheric carbon dioxide data for field application of carbon dioxide during summer 2018 as a behavioral control method for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in southeastern Michigan water retention ponds.
Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska
Concentrations of pesticides in multiple matrices to measure exposure of wild bees visiting pollinator hedgerows in northern California
Concentrations of inorganic, organic, and microbial analytes from a national reconnaissance of wastewater from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities across the United States
Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
Water-quality data for a statewide assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) study in Iowa, 2019-2020
Temporal Viral Viability Data from Avian Influenza A Viruses Maintained in Alaska Wetlands Under Experimental and Environmental Conditions
Evaluation of ELISA for the Analysis of Imidacloprid in Plasma, Liver, and Fecal Matter
Temporal Viral Viability Data from Avian Influenza A Viruses Maintained in North American Wetlands Under Experimental and Environmental Conditions
Microbial and chemical contaminant occurrence and concentration in groundwater and surface water proximal to large-scale poultry facilities and poultry litter, 2016
Uptake and toxicity of clothianidin to monarch butterflies from milkweed consumption (ver. 2.0, January 2020)
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Prevalence of neonicotinoid insecticides in paired private-well tap water and human urine samples in a region of intense agriculture overlying vulnerable aquifers in eastern Iowa
Contaminant exposure and transport from three potential reuse waters within a single watershed
Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types
Pesticide prioritization by potential biological effects in tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes
Vegetative buffer strips show limited effectiveness for reducing antibiotic transport in surface runoff
Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse
Watershed-scale risk to aquatic organisms from complex chemical mixtures in the Shenandoah River
Food, beverage, and feedstock processing facility wastewater: A unique and underappreciated source of contaminants to U.S. streams
A comprehensive statewide spatiotemporal stream assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an agricultural region of the United States
Public concern regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown substantially in recent years. In addition, research has documented multiple potential agriculture-related release pathways for PFAS (e.g., biosolids and livestock manure). Nevertheless, little research on the environmental prevalence of PFAS has been conducted in agricultural regions of the United States. To fill this g