Liquid and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for exposome analysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Research

Background:

• Mass spectrometry (MS) is vital for exposome research, identifying diverse chemical exposures.
• Current MS techniques offer sensitivity and accuracy but face data complexity and integration challenges.
• Advancements in AI and data accessibility accelerate the omics era, yet comparability and reproducibility in exposomics require further development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review MS-based methods in the exposome analytical pipeline.
• To summarize standard and advanced strategies for exposome research, including sample preparation, MS platforms, data acquisition, and annotation.
• To highlight applications for simultaneous analysis of endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics.

Main Methods:

• Review of mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques for exposome research.
• Discussion of sample preparation, chromatography-MS platforms (LC-MS, GC-MS), data acquisition, and annotation strategies.
• Exploration of AI-driven data analysis and integration approaches.

Main Results:

• MS-based methods are fundamental for comprehensive exposome profiling.
• Standardized and novel analytical strategies are essential for robust exposome research.
• Simultaneous analysis of metabolites and xenobiotics can deepen understanding of exposure-health relationships.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing MS-based exposome analysis is key to advancing environmental health research.
• Enhancing data reproducibility and comparability is critical for reliable exposomics findings.
• This review provides a framework for leveraging exposome data to support personalized healthcare and disease prevention.