Federal Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded George Washington University an $800,000 project grant under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) program, effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030. This research project addresses the critical challenge of antibiotic contamination in treated wastewater being reused for agricultural irrigation. The grant funds a comprehensive research initiative that combines environmental surveillance of wastewater treatment facilities with controlled laboratory studies to understand how antibiotics—particularly those packaged inside bacterial membrane vesicles—behave in water reuse systems. The research will measure the prevalence and removal efficacy of vesicle-associated antibiotics during treatment processes and investigate their degradation under sunlight and advanced wastewater treatment processes.

The primary deliverables include field-based surveillance data on antibiotic concentrations in wastewater and sludge from treatment facilities, laboratory findings on the transformation and degradation pathways of antibiotics under various treatment conditions, and assessment of the biological activity of residual antibiotics in recycled water. By linking real-world observations with controlled experiments, the project will generate actionable findings to improve water reuse practices and ensure that reclaimed water is safe for agricultural irrigation. This research directly supports AFRI's priority areas of bioenergy, natural resources, and environment while addressing water availability and food safety concerns critical to sustainable agricultural production and public health protection.