You are here:
Quantitative Non-Targeted Analysis: Bridging the Gap Between Contaminant Discovery and Risk Characterization
Citation:
McCord, J., L. Groff, AND J. Sobus. Quantitative Non-Targeted Analysis: Bridging the Gap Between Contaminant Discovery and Risk Characterization. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 158:107011, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.107011
Impact/Purpose:
Non-targeted analysis is a technique which readily enables the detection of novel chemical contaminants in a variety of media but does not readily lend itself to quantitative analysis and/or risk assessment. This manuscript reviews existing literature for quantitative approaches to non-targeted analysis and describes the framework by which quantitative NTA measures fit into existing risk assessment frameworks. Full incorporation of NTA into risk assessment frameworks would enable more widespread application of the technique and also accelerate the assessment of novel contaminants via new approach methodologies, consistent with EPA goals under TSCA. This review will be of particular interest to researchers working on non-targeted analysis and risk assessors considering how to incorporate this emerging technique into their future decision making.
Description:
Chemical risk assessments follow a long-standing paradigm that integrates hazard, dose–response, and exposure information to facilitate quantitative risk characterization. Targeted analytical measurement data directly support risk assessment activities, as well as downstream risk management and compliance monitoring efforts. Yet, targeted methods have struggled to keep pace with the demands for data regarding the vast, and growing, number of known chemicals. Many contemporary monitoring studies therefore utilize non-targeted analysis (NTA) methods to screen for known chemicals with limited risk information. Qualitative NTA data has enabled identification of previously unknown compounds and characterization of data-poor compounds in support of hazard identification and exposure assessment efforts. In spite of this, NTA data have seen limited use in risk-based decision making due to uncertainties surrounding their quantitative interpretation. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to bridge this quantitative gap. Based on these advancements, quantitative NTA data, when coupled with other high-throughput data streams and predictive models, are poised to directly support 21st-century risk-based decisions. This article highlights components of the chemical risk assessment process that are influenced by NTA data, surveys the existing literature for approaches to derive quantitative estimates of chemicals from NTA measurements, and presents a conceptual framework for incorporating NTA data into contemporary risk assessment frameworks.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Quantitative Non-Targeted Analysis: Bridging the Gap Between Contaminant Discovery and Risk Characterization