University of California System awarded $1.4 million grant to UC Riverside chemical and environmental engineering professor Haizhou Liu and a collaborative team from multiple UC campuses to address water scarcity by developing strategies to clean and reuse water for agriculture.
As California faces climate change and dwindling water supplies, the research comes at a pivotal time.
“Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges in agriculture today,” said Lui, a Bourns College of Engineering faculty member. “Our project aims not only to improve water use efficiency, but also to improve food security, protect public health and ensure a sustainable agricultural future. »
The grant will allow Liu and his research team to develop methods to remove chemical pollutants and pathogens from wastewater. Pollutants and pathogens can significantly hinder crop growth when contaminated recycled wastewater is used for irrigation.
The research expands on Liu’s innovative approaches to removing “permanent chemicals” from polluted water sources. Vast supplies of wastewater from wastewater treatment plants often contain perennial chemicals – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS – as well as other chemical pollutants and harmful microorganisms.
In 2022, Liu published a revolutionary study showing how the stubbornly strong fluorine-carbon chemical bonds in PFAS compounds can be broken using a combination of hydrogen and short-wavelength ultraviolet light. Earlier this year, Liu the team demonstrated how brackish wastewater containing PFAS can be treated using ultraviolet light and chemical reactions catalyzed by salts naturally present in wastewater.
Liu will work with scientists from UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Centers.
The grant project will also test irrigation methods that balance water conservation and food production, assess soil health and microbial ecosystems under irrigation with recycled water to ensure long-term viability, and develop on-farm management practices to prevent the transfer of contaminants to crops.
The grant is awarded through the Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) program, funded by the UC System Office of the President. These grants address critical challenges in California and beyond, with a funding portfolio of approximately $48 million. MRPI grants are designed to foster interdisciplinary research, attract external funding, and improve the university’s competitiveness in solving pressing societal problems.