Metabolomics Approach in Environmental Studies: Methodologies, Application and Challenges

Metabolomics is the study of low molecular weight compounds, both endogenous and exogenous, present in an organism's cells, tissues, or biological fluids. In recent years it has gained significant attention in environmental research for assessing different environmental exposures-primarily chemical pollutants-affect the metabolism of organisms, including humans. Metabolomics has therefore emerged as a crucial technique in exposome investigations, enabling the exploration of molecular-level biological effect of xenobiotics. This review highlights recent applications of metabolomics in evaluating the environmental impacts of disturbances such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, nanoparticles, polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, microplastics and changes in naturally occurring compounds with an emphasis on humans, microorganisms, aquatic organisms, plants and soils. It also provides an overview of analytical technologies and recent advances in the field of ecometabolomics. Furthermore, the review acknowledges persistent challenges including sample heterogeneity, complex matrix, data overload, methodological variability, communication barriers and regulatory hurdles. Despite these challenges, metabolomics holds substantial promise in environmental applications.