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Non-targeted Analysis of Archived Specimens for Discovering Past Exposures
Citation:
Sobus, J. Non-targeted Analysis of Archived Specimens for Discovering Past Exposures. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, June 14 - 15, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation at the National Academy of Sciences meeting on the feasibility of addressing environmental exposure questions using DoD biorepositories. This presentation will highlight preliminary results of ENTACT, and discuss the implications of these results for retrospective exposure assessment using archived serum.
Description:
Service members of the US military encounter unique exposure scenarios during deployment. While researchers have examined associations between specific sources (e.g., burn pits, firefighting foam, pesticides) and health outcomes, there remains considerable uncertainty in exposure-disease relationships. Routine exposure monitoring during active duty presents numerous logistical challenges that could hinder daily activities. As such, retrospective analysis of archived serum is being considered as a means ofreconstructing past exposures. Targeted analytical methods are best suited for this effort when the stressors of interest are known; these methods are highly robust and sensitive, and offer the best means for providing quantitative exposure data. As a complementary tool, non-targeted analysis (NTA) methods allow for the discovery of previously unknown stressors. NTA methods have recently been used to characterize chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in a variety of environmental media, including air, water, dust and soil. Few NTA studies of serum have focused on environmental pollutants, as concentrations of these analytes are often far below those of drugs, dietary chemicals, and endogenous compounds. A need therefore existsto examine the suitability of NTA methods for retrospective exposure characterization using archived serum. The U.S. EPA’s Non-Targeted Analysis Collaborative Trail (ENTACT) is examining the applicability and reliability of NTA methods using synthetic mixtures of ToxCast chemicals (as a “best case” for NTA), and reference samples of silicone wristbands, house dust, and human serum. This presentation will highlight preliminary results of ENTACT, and discuss the implications of these results for retrospective exposure assessment using archived serum.