Nanotechnology using plant-based fibers could be the answer to detecting and cleaning up pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals before they become harmful on the farm and in the environment.
A University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture research project led by Mi Li, associate professor in the Center for Renewable Carbon and the School of Natural Resources, received $300,000 for two years from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative nanotechnology program to create these prototype materials. The project also includes researchers from the University of Memphis and Auburn University.
Li and his lab focus on the conversion of plant-based resources into valuable chemicals, functional materials and polymers. His research combines wood chemistry, chemical synthesis, chemical engineering, polymer science and nanotechnology for green chemistry, circular carbon economy and a clean environment. His circular biorefining lab in the Center for Renewable Carbon taps renewable forestry and agricultural resources for value-added bioproducts.
Using chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, and plant growth boosters in farming helps increase crop production, but it often leads to health hazards and environmental pollution. Mitigation of these chemicals can be a challenge because it is difficult to detect leftover chemicals in produce, soil and water and then turn them into harmless substances.
Source : tennessee.edu