Effective Strategies for Monitoring and Regulating Chemical Mixtures and Contaminants Sharing Pathways of Toxicity.
Traditionally, hazardous chemicals have been regulated in the U.S. on a one-by-one basis, an approach that is slow, expensive and can be inefficient, as illustrated by a decades-long succession of replacing one type of organohalogen flame retardants (OHFRs) with another one, without addressing the root cause of toxicity and associated public health threats posed. The present article expounds on the need for efficient monitoring strategies and pragmatic steps in reducing environmental pollution and adverse human health impacts. A promising approach is to combine specific bioassays with state-of-the-art chemical screening to identify chemicals and chemical mixtures sharing specific modes of action (MOAs) and pathways of toxicity (PoTs). This approach could be used to identify and regulate hazardous chemicals as classes or compound families, featuring similar biological end-points, such as endocrine disruption and mutagenicity. Opportunities and potential obstacles of implementing this approach are discussed.
Center for Environmental Security, The Biodesign Institute, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. avenka21@asu.edu.
Arjun K
AK
Venkatesan
Center for Environmental Security, The Biodesign Institute, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. halden@asu.edu.
Rolf U
RU
Halden
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D033161:Government Regulation; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D015386:Hazardous Substances
chemical mixtures; environmental monitoring; flame retardants; regulatory framework; toxicity