Citation:

Ferguson, L., E. Ulrich, H. Singer, AND J. Hollender. On Target at NonTarget 2022. IN: SETAC Globe, SETAC Press, Pensacola, FL, (7):N/A, (2022).

Impact/Purpose:

Because nontarget analysis (NTA) is a rapidly evolving technique, communication among practitioners is essential to keep abreast of the advances in the field. Over 240 environmental chemists from over 28 countries around the globe convened for the Nontarget Analysis for Environmental Assessment meeting. The days were filled with three plenary lectures, eight keynotes for topical sessions followed by oral platform presentations, as well as four days of poster presentations that were available in person and online. Additionally, the meeting included four interactive sessions on harmonization, workflows, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), facilitated using interactive posters, breakout discussions and tool demonstrations. Meeting survey respondents suggested that a meeting on NTA should be organized once every two to three years and possibly alternate between Europe and North America. 

Description:

While temperatures fluctuated from 55–100 degrees Fahrenheit (13–40° C) and a tornado brewed on the first day of the Nontarget Analysis for Environmental Assessment SETAC North America Focused Topic Meeting (NonTarget 2022), the science was hot for 244 environmental chemists from more than 28 countries around the globe, who convened for one week in May in Durham North Carolina. If you’d like to learn about the topic, check out the SETAC Technical Issue Paper “Nontarget Analysis of Organic Chemicals in the Environment.” The meeting was the second convention of environmental scientists on the topic following the inaugural event in Ascona, Switzerland, in 2016. The meeting had been much anticipated since 2020 but was delayed due to the global pandemic. Participants were thrilled to get a chance to collaborate and discuss updates in the field. Because nontarget analysis (NTA) is a rapidly evolving technique, communication among practitioners is essential to keep abreast of the advances in the field. The committee was intent on facilitating that communication while ensuring an inclusive meeting. A streaming program was devised to allow online participation, serving over 86 virtual participants. The meeting kickoff was a plenary lecture by Julianne Hollender, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology – Eawag, who talked about developments in instrumentation, workflows and applications since 2016. The days were filled with three plenary lectures, eight keynotes for topical sessions followed by oral platform presentations, as well as four days of poster presentations that were available in person and online. Additionally, the meeting included four interactive sessions on harmonization, workflows, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), facilitated using interactive posters, breakout discussions and tool demonstrations as seen in the meeting program and abstract book. For a mid-week excursion, meeting participants enjoyed a stroll at Duke Gardens to center themselves with nature, followed by a reception at Duke University’s Nasher Museum for artistic inspiration. To wrap up the meeting, Lee Ferguson, Duke University and co-chair of the program committee, summarized lessons learned by highlighting key talks and messages. Lessons Learned Data processing tools and molecular databases for NTA are becoming mature (Sebastian Böcker, University of Jena) Performance evaluation of NTA methods is critical for harmonization and reproducibility – we still have a way to go (Martin Krauss, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research) The intersection of NTA and exposomics bears fruit for human health protection (Doug Walker, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine) Integration of high-throughput mechanistic bioassays with NTA provides a route to identifying “causative stressors” (Marja Lamoree, Vrije Universitei Amsterdam) NTA is a powerful tool for elucidating environmental processes, when used properly (Tom Young, University of California – Davis) The complexities of PFAS chemistries are vast, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has been critical for mapping the extent of this chemical space (Jennifer Guelfo, Texas Tech University) Industrial pollution sources are everywhere, and environmental forensics allow new insights for scientific and regulatory action (Mark Strynar, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  Cutting edge instrumental developments improve our capabilities for contaminant identification and (semi)quantitation (Erin Baker, North Carolina State University) Continue at SETAC Globe

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