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Title: Completing the link between exposure science and toxicology for improved environmental health decision making: The aggregate exposure pathway framework

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [4];  [4]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
  5. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here, 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.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
P30 ES000210; AC05-7601830
OSTI ID:
1249371
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-114098
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 136, Issue 2; ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 76 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (13)

How Adverse Outcome Pathways Can Aid the Development and Use of Computational Prediction Models for Regulatory Toxicology journal December 2016
Breath biomarkers in toxicology journal September 2016
The future trajectory of adverse outcome pathways: a commentary journal March 2018
Refining the aggregate exposure pathway journal January 2018
Beyond monoisotopic accurate mass spectrometry: ancillary techniques for identifying unknown features in non-targeted discovery analysis journal November 2018
Regulatory assessment and risk management of chemical mixtures: challenges and ways forward journal February 2019
Developing the Regulatory Utility of the Exposome: Mapping Exposures for Risk Assessment through Lifestage Exposome Snapshots (LEnS) journal August 2017
The Role of Omics in the Application of Adverse Outcome Pathways for Chemical Risk Assessment journal May 2017
Building and Applying Quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathway Models for Chemical Hazard and Risk Assessment journal August 2019
Regulatory assessment and risk management of chemical mixtures: challenges and ways forward text January 2019
Regulatory assessment and risk management of chemical mixtures: challenges and ways forward text January 2019
Statement on advancing the assessment of chemical mixtures and their risks for human health and the environment journal January 2020
Characterizing the Neurodevelopmental Pesticide Exposome in a Children’s Agricultural Cohort journal February 2020

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