title: Completing the Link between Exposure Science and Toxicology for Improved Environmental Health Decision Making: The Aggregate Exposure Pathway Framework.
abstract: Driven by major scientific advances in analytical methods, biomonitoring, computation, and a newly articulated vision for a greater impact in public health, the field of exposure science is undergoing a rapid transition from a field of observation to a field of prediction. Deployment of an organizational and predictive framework for exposure science analogous to the "systems approaches" used in the biological sciences is a necessary step in this evolution. Here we propose the aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) concept as the natural and complementary companion in the exposure sciences to the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept in the toxicological sciences. Aggregate exposure pathways offer an intuitive framework to organize exposure data within individual units of prediction common to the field, setting the stage for exposure forecasting. Looking farther ahead, we envision direct linkages between aggregate exposure pathways and adverse outcome pathways, completing the source to outcome continuum for more meaningful integration of exposure assessment and hazard identification. Together, the two frameworks form and inform a decision-making framework with the flexibility for risk-based, hazard-based, or exposure-based decision making.
authors.affiliation: Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.|Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Justin G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Teeguarden
authors.affiliation: National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States.
authors.forename: Yu-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States.
authors.forename: Jeremy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.|Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Molly L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kile
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Staci M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Simonich
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Tanguay
authors.affiliation: Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.|Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: Katrina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.|School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States.
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 93771, United States.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012586:Science; D014116:Toxicology