Reference number : GC-2017-Q3-00805, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Wilkinson, Kevin (Université de Montréal), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Quebec|Québec, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Strategic Projects - Group, program name french : Projets stratégiques - groupe, program purpose english : Although engineered nanomaterials have the potential to increase sustainable food production, there are still knowledge gaps and inherent risks associated with their use. One particular impact that has been neglected to-date is the effects of the nanomaterials on the mobility and bioavailability of contaminants (and nutrients) that are already present. This study is designed to develop a better quantitative understanding of the interactions, transport and fate of nanomaterials in agricultural soils. A major focus of the work will be to increase our understanding of nanocarriers that are used to improve the transport and targeting of pesticides in agricultural soils. Furthermore, we will determine the potential of NP to interact with contaminants that may be present in soil, potentially increasing their mobilisation, concentrations and bioavailability in the surrounding soils and groundwaters. By better understanding the important interactions of NP with agricultural soils, it will be possible: (i) to better target pesticide applications to improve agricultural sustainability; (ii) to provide some important insight into the risk of engineered NP to the food chain; (iii) to determine whether the addition of NP (through their direct or incidental application, i.e. biosolids) are likely to mobilize other environmental contaminants; (iv) to evaluate multiple stressor effects on simple measurements of soil productivity (i.e. soil enzyme activities) and bioavailability (i.e. biouptake to earthworms)., program purpose french : Although engineered nanomaterials have the potential to increase sustainable food production, there are still knowledge gaps and inherent risks associated with their use. One particular impact that has been neglected to-date is the effects of the nanomaterials on the mobility and bioavailability of contaminants (and nutrients) that are already present. This study is designed to develop a better quantitative understanding of the interactions, transport and fate of nanomaterials in agricultural soils. A major focus of the work will be to increase our understanding of nanocarriers that are used to improve the transport and targeting of pesticides in agricultural soils. Furthermore, we will determine the potential of NP to interact with contaminants that may be present in soil, potentially increasing their mobilisation, concentrations and bioavailability in the surrounding soils and groundwaters. By better understanding the important interactions of NP with agricultural soils, it will be possible: (i) to better target pesticide applications to improve agricultural sustainability; (ii) to provide some important insight into the risk of engineered NP to the food chain; (iii) to determine whether the addition of NP (through their direct or incidental application, i.e. biosolids) are likely to mobilize other environmental contaminants; (iv) to evaluate multiple stressor effects on simple measurements of soil productivity (i.e. soil enzyme activities) and bioavailability (i.e. biouptake to earthworms)., agreement title english : Engineered particles at the start of the food chain - quantifying their effects on pesticide targeting and contaminant mobility in soils, agreement title french : Engineered particles at the start of the food chain - quantifying their effects on pesticide targeting and contaminant mobility in soils, agreement number : STPGP, agreement value : 596400.0, agreement start date : 2017-10-18, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2020-2021)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2020-2021)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada