Nontargeted Screening in Environmental Monitoring Programs: An Update

Contaminant monitoring programs have been tasked with understanding the fate and transport of toxic chemicals in the environment. Mass spectrometry-based methods have traditionally been developed to maximize sensitivity and accuracy of a select set of target compounds. As mass spectrometry methods have advanced, so has the breadth of questions proposed by environmental chemists. Advanced technologies are allowing for the assessment of complex mixtures and becoming more relevant to real-world exposure levels and new chemical threats. Incorporating these methods in chemical monitoring programs provides large data sets to explore the effects of complex mixtures on environmental systems.