Communicating with Stakeholders to Identify High-Impact Research Directions for Non-Targeted Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Non-targeted analysis (NTA) employs high-resolution mass spectrometry for comprehensive chemical monitoring.
• Despite technological advancements, NTA methods and data are underutilized across various sectors.
• Barriers to NTA adoption hinder its potential in fields like environmental monitoring and epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers limiting the widespread adoption of NTA methods and data.
• To gather end-user perspectives on NTA product development priorities.
• To propose research directions for expanding NTA utilization in diverse applications.

Main Methods:

• Conducted focus group meetings and follow-up surveys with 61 scientists from diverse sectors.
• Included NTA data producers and end-users with varying levels of NTA expertise.
• Focused discussions on adoption barriers and NTA product development priorities.

Main Results:

• Identified four major priority categories for NTA development: education/training, QA/QC/study design, compound databases, and data linkages.
• Highlighted the need for accessible compound databases and libraries.
• Emphasized the importance of linking NTA data with chemical fate and toxicity information.

Conclusions:

• Standardizing training materials and developing accessible resources are crucial for NTA adoption.
• Addressing identified barriers will facilitate the expansion of NTA use in decision-making contexts.
• Further research and institutional efforts are needed to fully leverage NTA's potential in chemical monitoring.