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Dudášová S, Wurz J, Berger U, Reemtsma T, Fu Q, Lechtenfeld OJ. An automated and high-throughput data processing workflow for PFAS identification in biota by direct infusion ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:4833-4848. [PMID: 39090266 PMCID: PMC11330400 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05426-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The increasing recognition of the health impacts from human exposure to per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has surged the need for sophisticated analytical techniques and advanced data analyses, especially for assessing exposure by food of animal origin. Despite the existence of nearly 15,000 PFAS listed in the CompTox chemicals dashboard by the US Environmental Protection Agency, conventional monitoring and suspect screening methods often fall short, covering only a fraction of these substances. This study introduces an innovative automated data processing workflow, named PFlow, for identifying PFAS in environmental samples using direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (DI-FT-ICR MS). PFlow's validation on a bream liver sample, representative of low-concentration biota, involves data pre-processing, annotation of PFAS based on their precursor masses, and verification through isotopologues. Notably, PFlow annotated 17 PFAS absent in the comprehensive targeted approach and tentatively identified an additional 53 compounds, thereby demonstrating its efficiency in enhancing PFAS detection coverage. From an initial dataset of 30,332 distinct m/z values, PFlow thoroughly narrowed down the candidates to 84 potential PFAS compounds, utilizing precise mass measurements and chemical logic criteria, underscoring its potential in advancing our understanding of PFAS prevalence and of human exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Dudášová
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johann Wurz
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Urs Berger
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolism, Department of General Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Qiuguo Fu
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Oliver J Lechtenfeld
- Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
- ProVIS - Centre for Chemical Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
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2
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Saifi I, Bhat BA, Hamdani SS, Bhat UY, Lobato-Tapia CA, Mir MA, Dar TUH, Ganie SA. Artificial intelligence and cheminformatics tools: a contribution to the drug development and chemical science. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:6523-6541. [PMID: 37434311 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2234039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
In the ever-evolving field of drug discovery, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) with cheminformatics has proven to be a powerful combination. Cheminformatics, which combines the principles of computer science and chemistry, is used to extract chemical information and search compound databases, while the application of AI and ML allows for the identification of potential hit compounds, optimization of synthesis routes, and prediction of drug efficacy and toxicity. This collaborative approach has led to the discovery, preclinical evaluations and approval of over 70 drugs in recent years. To aid researchers in the pursuit of new drugs, this article presents a comprehensive list of databases, datasets, predictive and generative models, scoring functions and web platforms that have been launched between 2021 and 2022. These resources provide a wealth of information and tools for computer-assisted drug development, and are a valuable asset for those working in the field of cheminformatics. Overall, the integration of AI, ML and cheminformatics has greatly advanced the drug discovery process and continues to hold great potential for the future. As new resources and technologies become available, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in these fields.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifra Saifi
- Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Basharat Ahmad Bhat
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Syed Suhail Hamdani
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Umar Yousuf Bhat
- Department of Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India
| | | | - Mushtaq Ahmad Mir
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, King Khalid University, KSA, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tanvir Ul Hasan Dar
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, BGSB University, Rajouri, India
| | - Showkat Ahmad Ganie
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India
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3
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Mayer PM, Moran KD, Miller EL, Brander SM, Harper S, Garcia-Jaramillo M, Carrasco-Navarro V, Ho KT, Burgess RM, Thornton Hampton LM, Granek EF, McCauley M, McIntyre JK, Kolodziej EP, Hu X, Williams AJ, Beckingham BA, Jackson ME, Sanders-Smith RD, Fender CL, King GA, Bollman M, Kaushal SS, Cunningham BE, Hutton SJ, Lang J, Goss HV, Siddiqui S, Sutton R, Lin D, Mendez M. Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:171153. [PMID: 38460683 PMCID: PMC11214769 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
About 3 billion new tires are produced each year and about 800 million tires become waste annually. Global dependence upon tires produced from natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds represents a persistent and complex environmental problem with only partial and often-times, ineffective solutions. Tire emissions may be in the form of whole tires, tire particles, and chemical compounds, each of which is transported through various atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic routes in the natural and built environments. Production and use of tires generates multiple heavy metals, plastics, PAH's, and other compounds that can be toxic alone or as chemical cocktails. Used tires require storage space, are energy intensive to recycle, and generally have few post-wear uses that are not also potential sources of pollutants (e.g., crumb rubber, pavements, burning). Tire particles emitted during use are a major component of microplastics in urban runoff and a source of unique and highly potent toxic substances. Thus, tires represent a ubiquitous and complex pollutant that requires a comprehensive examination to develop effective management and remediation. We approach the issue of tire pollution holistically by examining the life cycle of tires across production, emissions, recycling, and disposal. In this paper, we synthesize recent research and data about the environmental and human health risks associated with the production, use, and disposal of tires and discuss gaps in our knowledge about fate and transport, as well as the toxicology of tire particles and chemical leachates. We examine potential management and remediation approaches for addressing exposure risks across the life cycle of tires. We consider tires as pollutants across three levels: tires in their whole state, as particulates, and as a mixture of chemical cocktails. Finally, we discuss information gaps in our understanding of tires as a pollutant and outline key questions to improve our knowledge and ability to manage and remediate tire pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Kelly D Moran
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Ezra L Miller
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Susanne M Brander
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Stacey Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Victor Carrasco-Navarro
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Yliopistonranta 1 E, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Kay T Ho
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America.
| | - Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America.
| | - Leah M Thornton Hampton
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Blvd, Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, United States of America.
| | - Elise F Granek
- Environmental Science & Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, United States of America.
| | - Margaret McCauley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Seattle, WA 98101, United States of America.
| | - Jenifer K McIntyre
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Washington Stormwater Center, 2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371, United States of America.
| | - Edward P Kolodziej
- Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (UW Tacoma), Civil and Environmental Engineering (UW Seattle), Center for Urban Waters, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA 98402, United States of America.
| | - Ximin Hu
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (UW Seattle), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America.
| | - Antony J Williams
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Chemical Characterization and Exposure Division, Computational Chemistry & Cheminformatics Branch, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States of America.
| | - Barbara A Beckingham
- Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424, United States of America.
| | - Miranda E Jackson
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Rhea D Sanders-Smith
- Washington State Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98503, United States of America.
| | - Chloe L Fender
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - George A King
- CSS, Inc., 200 SW 35th St, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Michael Bollman
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, United States of America.
| | - Brittany E Cunningham
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Sara J Hutton
- GSI Environmental, Inc., Olympia, Washington 98502, USA.
| | - Jackelyn Lang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - Heather V Goss
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management, Washington, DC 20004, United States of America.
| | - Samreen Siddiqui
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Rebecca Sutton
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Diana Lin
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Miguel Mendez
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
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4
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Groff L, Williams A, Shah I, Patlewicz G. MetSim: Integrated Programmatic Access and Pathway Management for Xenobiotic Metabolism Simulators. Chem Res Toxicol 2024; 37:685-697. [PMID: 38598715 PMCID: PMC11325951 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Xenobiotic metabolism is a key consideration in evaluating the hazards and risks posed by environmental chemicals. A number of software tools exist that are capable of simulating metabolites, but each reports its predictions in a different format and with varying levels of detail. This makes comparing the performance and coverage of the tools a practical challenge. To address this shortcoming, we developed a metabolic simulation framework called MetSim, which comprises three main components. A graph-based schema was developed to allow metabolism information to be harmonized. The schema was implemented in MongoDB to store and retrieve metabolic graphs for subsequent analysis. MetSim currently includes an application programming interface for four metabolic simulators: BioTransformer, the OECD Toolbox, EPA's chemical transformation simulator (CTS), and tissue metabolism simulator (TIMES). Lastly, MetSim provides functions to help evaluate simulator performance for specific data sets. In this study, a set of 112 drugs with 432 reported metabolites were compiled, and predictions were made using the 4 simulators. Fifty-nine of the 112 drugs were taken from the Small Molecule Pathway Database, with the remainder sourced from the literature. The human models within BioTransformer and CTS (Phase I only) and the rat models within TIMES and the OECD Toolbox (Phase I only) were used to make predictions for the chemicals in the data set. The recall and precision (recall, precision) ranked in order of highest recall for each individual tool were CTS (0.54, 0.017), BioTransformer (0.50, 0.008), Toolbox in vitro (0.40, 0.144), TIMES in vivo (0.40, 0.133), Toolbox in vivo (0.40, 0.118), and TIMES in vitro (0.39, 0.128). Combining all of the model predictions together increased the overall recall (0.73, 0.008). MetSim enabled insights into the performance and coverage of in silico metabolic simulators to be more efficiently derived, which in turn should aid future efforts to evaluate other data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Groff
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Antony Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Imran Shah
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Grace Patlewicz
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
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5
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Mortensen HM, Beach B, Slaughter W, Senn J, Williams A, Boyes W. Translating nanoEHS data using EPA NaKnowBase and the resource description framework. F1000Res 2024; 13:169. [PMID: 38800073 PMCID: PMC11128042 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.141056.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The U.S. Federal Government has supported the generation of extensive amounts of nanomaterials and related nano Environmental Health and Safety (nanoEHS) data, there is a need to make these data available to stakeholders. With recent efforts, a need for improved interoperability, translation, and sustainability of Federal nanoEHS data in the United States has been realized. The NaKnowBase (NKB) is a relational database containing experimental results generated by the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) regarding the actions of engineered nanomaterials on environmental and biological systems. Through the interaction of the National Nanotechnology Initiative's Nanotechnology Environmental Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group, and the Database and Informatics Interest Group (DIIG), a U.S. Federal nanoEHS Consortium has been formed. Methods The primary goal of this consortium is to establish a "common language" for nanoEHS data that aligns with FAIR data standards. A second goal is to overcome nomenclature issues inherent to nanomaterials data, ultimately allowing data sharing and interoperability across the diverse U.S. Federal nanoEHS data compendium, but also in keeping a level of consistency that will allow interoperability with U.S. and European partners. The most recent version of the EPA NaKnowBase (NKB) has been implemented for semantic integration. Computational code has been developed to use each NKB record as input, modify and filter table data, and subsequently output each modified record to a Research Description Framework (RDF). To improve the accuracy and efficiency of this process the EPA has created the OntoSearcher tool. This tool partially automates the ontology mapping process, thereby reducing onerous manual curation. Conclusions Here we describe the efforts of the US EPA in promoting FAIR data standards for Federal nanoEHS data through semantic integration, as well as in the development of NAMs (computational tools) to facilitate these improvements for nanoEHS data at the Federal partner level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M. Mortensen
- ORD-CPHEA, US Environmental Protection agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Bradley Beach
- Appointee at the Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Weston Slaughter
- Appointee at the Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan Senn
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Metabolon, Inc. Precision Metabolomics, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Antony Williams
- ORD-CCTE, US Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC, 27711, USA
| | - William Boyes
- ORD-CPHEA, US Environmental Protection agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
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6
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Lu EH, Ford LC, Chen Z, Burnett SD, Rusyn I, Chiu WA. Evaluating scientific confidence in the concordance of in vitro and in vivo protective points of departure. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2024; 148:105596. [PMID: 38447894 PMCID: PMC11193089 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2024.105596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
To fulfil the promise of reducing reliance on mammalian in vivo laboratory animal studies, new approach methods (NAMs) need to provide a confident basis for regulatory decision-making. However, previous attempts to develop in vitro NAMs-based points of departure (PODs) have yielded mixed results, with PODs from U.S. EPA's ToxCast, for instance, appearing more conservative (protective) but poorly correlated with traditional in vivo studies. Here, we aimed to address this discordance by reducing the heterogeneity of in vivo PODs, accounting for species differences, and enhancing the biological relevance of in vitro PODs. However, we only found improved in vitro-to-in vivo concordance when combining the use of Bayesian model averaging-based benchmark dose modeling for in vivo PODs, allometric scaling for interspecies adjustments, and human-relevant in vitro assays with multiple induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models. Moreover, the available sample size was only 15 chemicals, and the resulting level of concordance was only fair, with correlation coefficients <0.5 and prediction intervals spanning several orders of magnitude. Overall, while this study suggests several ways to enhance concordance and thereby increase scientific confidence in vitro NAMs-based PODs, it also highlights challenges in their predictive accuracy and precision for use in regulatory decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- En-Hsuan Lu
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Lucie C Ford
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Zunwei Chen
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sarah D Burnett
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Ivan Rusyn
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Weihsueh A Chiu
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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7
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Mansouri K, Moreira-Filho JT, Lowe CN, Charest N, Martin T, Tkachenko V, Judson R, Conway M, Kleinstreuer NC, Williams AJ. Free and open-source QSAR-ready workflow for automated standardization of chemical structures in support of QSAR modeling. J Cheminform 2024; 16:19. [PMID: 38378618 PMCID: PMC10880251 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-024-00814-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid increase of publicly available chemical structures and associated experimental data presents a valuable opportunity to build robust QSAR models for applications in different fields. However, the common concern is the quality of both the chemical structure information and associated experimental data. This is especially true when those data are collected from multiple sources as chemical substance mappings can contain many duplicate structures and molecular inconsistencies. Such issues can impact the resulting molecular descriptors and their mappings to experimental data and, subsequently, the quality of the derived models in terms of accuracy, repeatability, and reliability. Herein we describe the development of an automated workflow to standardize chemical structures according to a set of standard rules and generate two and/or three-dimensional "QSAR-ready" forms prior to the calculation of molecular descriptors. The workflow was designed in the KNIME workflow environment and consists of three high-level steps. First, a structure encoding is read, and then the resulting in-memory representation is cross-referenced with any existing identifiers for consistency. Finally, the structure is standardized using a series of operations including desalting, stripping of stereochemistry (for two-dimensional structures), standardization of tautomers and nitro groups, valence correction, neutralization when possible, and then removal of duplicates. This workflow was initially developed to support collaborative modeling QSAR projects to ensure consistency of the results from the different participants. It was then updated and generalized for other modeling applications. This included modification of the "QSAR-ready" workflow to generate "MS-ready structures" to support the generation of substance mappings and searches for software applications related to non-targeted analysis mass spectrometry. Both QSAR and MS-ready workflows are freely available in KNIME, via standalone versions on GitHub, and as docker container resources for the scientific community. Scientific contribution: This work pioneers an automated workflow in KNIME, systematically standardizing chemical structures to ensure their readiness for QSAR modeling and broader scientific applications. By addressing data quality concerns through desalting, stereochemistry stripping, and normalization, it optimizes molecular descriptors' accuracy and reliability. The freely available resources in KNIME, GitHub, and docker containers democratize access, benefiting collaborative research and advancing diverse modeling endeavors in chemistry and mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamel Mansouri
- National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - José T Moreira-Filho
- National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Charles N Lowe
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Nathaniel Charest
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Todd Martin
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | | | - Richard Judson
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Mike Conway
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Nicole C Kleinstreuer
- National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Antony J Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
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8
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Chen H, Kapidzic M, Gantar D, Aksel S, Levan J, Abrahamsson DP, Jigmeddagva U, Basrai S, San A, Gaw SL, Woodruff TJ, Fisher SJ, Robinson JF. Perfluorooctanoic acid induces transcriptomic alterations in second trimester human cytotrophoblasts. Toxicol Sci 2023; 196:187-199. [PMID: 37738295 PMCID: PMC10682971 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly- and perfluroroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a major class of surfactants used in industry applications and consumer products. Despite efforts to reduce the usage of PFAS due to their environmental persistence, compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are widely detected in human blood and tissue. Although growing evidence supports that prenatal exposures to PFOA and other PFAS are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, the target organs and pathways remain unclear. Recent investigations in mouse and human cell lines suggest that PFAS may impact the placenta and impair trophoblast function. In this study, we investigated the effects of PFOA on cytotoxicity and the transcriptome in cultured second trimester human cytotrophoblasts (CTBs). We show that PFOA significantly reduces viability and induces cell death at 24 h, in a concentration-dependent manner. At subcytotoxic concentrations, PFOA impacted expression of hundreds of genes, including several molecules (CRH, IFIT1, and TNFSF10) linked with lipid metabolism and innate immune response pathways. Furthermore, in silico analyses suggested that regulatory factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-mediated pathways may be especially important in response to PFOA. In summary, this study provides evidence that PFOA alters primary human CTB viability and gene pathways that could contribute to placental dysfunction and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Mirhan Kapidzic
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Danielle Gantar
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Sena Aksel
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Justine Levan
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Dimitri P Abrahamsson
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Unurzul Jigmeddagva
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Sanah Basrai
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Ali San
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Stephanie L Gaw
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Susan J Fisher
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Joshua F Robinson
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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9
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Termeh-Zonoozi Y, Venugopal PD, Patel V, Gagliano G. Seeing Beyond the Smoke: Selecting Waterpipe Wastewater Chemicals for Risk Assessments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS LETTERS 2023; 4:100074. [PMID: 38357015 PMCID: PMC10866395 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazl.2022.100074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Increasing use prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking raises concerns about environmental impacts from waterpipe waste disposal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required to assess the environmental impact of its tobacco regulatory actions per the National Environmental Policy Act. This study builds on FDA's efforts characterizing the aquatic toxicity of waterpipe wastewater chemicals. Methods We compiled a comprehensive list of waterpipe wastewater chemical concentrations from literature. We then selected chemicals for risk assessment by estimating persistence, bioaccumulation, and aquatic toxicity characteristics (PBT; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and hazardous concentration values (concentration affecting specific proportion of species). Results Of 38 chemicals in waterpipe wastewater with concentration data, 20 are listed as harmful or potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in tobacco smoke and tobacco products by FDA, and 15 are hazardous waste per U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Among metals, six (cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel and selenium) are included in both HPHC and hazardous waste lists and were selected for future risk assessments. Among non-metals, nicotine, and 4-methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were shortlisted, as they are classified as persistent and toxic. Further, N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), with a low HC50 value for chronic aquatic toxicity, had high aquatic toxicity concern and is selected. Conclusions The presence of multiple hazardous compounds in waterpipe wastewater highlights the importance of awareness on the proper disposal of waterpipe wastewater in residential and retail settings. Future studies can build on the hazard characterization provided in this study through fate and transport modeling, exposure characterization and risk assessments of waterpipe wastewater chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Termeh-Zonoozi
- Contributed equally
- Center for Tobacco Products, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD 20705
| | - P. Dilip Venugopal
- Contributed equally
- Center for Tobacco Products, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD 20705
| | - Vyomesh Patel
- Center for Tobacco Products, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD 20705
| | - Gregory Gagliano
- Center for Tobacco Products, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Beltsville, MD 20705
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10
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Wallis DJ, Kotlarz N, Knappe DRU, Collier DN, Lea CS, Reif D, McCord J, Strynar M, DeWitt JC, Hoppin JA. Estimation of the Half-Lives of Recently Detected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Ethers in an Exposed Community. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:15348-15355. [PMID: 37801709 PMCID: PMC10790670 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
To estimate half-lives for novel fluoroethers, the GenX Exposure Study obtained two serum measurements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for 44 participants of age 12-86 years from North Carolina, collected 5 and 11 months after fluoroether discharges into the drinking water source were controlled. The estimated half-lives for these compounds were 127 days (95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 86, 243 days) for perfluorotetraoxadecanoic acid (PFO4DA), 296 days for Nafion byproduct 2 (95% CI = 176, 924 days), and 379 days (95% CI = 199, 3870 days) for perfluoro-3,5,7,9,11-pentaoxadodecanoic acid (PFO5DoA). Using these estimates and the literature values, a model was built that predicted PFAS half-lives using structural properties. Three chemical properties predicted 55% of the variance of PFAS half-lives based on 15 PFAS. A model with only molecular weight predicted 69% of the variance. Some properties can predict the half-lives of PFAS, but a deeper understanding is needed. These fluoroethers had biological half-lives longer than published half-lives for PFHxA and PFHpA (30-60 days) but shorter than those for PFOA and PFOS (800-1200 days). These are the first and possibly only estimates of human elimination half-lives of these fluoroethers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan J Wallis
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Nadine Kotlarz
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Detlef R U Knappe
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - David N Collier
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
| | - C Suzanne Lea
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
| | - David Reif
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - James McCord
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Triangle Research Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Mark Strynar
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Triangle Research Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jamie C DeWitt
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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11
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Venugopal PD, Addo Ntim S, Goel R, Reilly SM, Brenner W, Hanna SK. Environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and hazards of chemicals in e-cigarette e-liquids: short-listing chemicals for risk assessments. Tob Control 2023:tc-2023-058163. [PMID: 37845042 PMCID: PMC11018712 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/METHODS Increased use and sales of e-cigarettes raises concerns about the potential environmental impacts throughout their life-cycle. However, few available research studies focus on the environmental impacts and ecotoxicity of e-cigarettes. In this study, we short-list e-liquid chemicals from published literature that should be considered in future environmental impact and risk assessments. We used a combination of available laboratory bioassays-based data and predictive methods (eg, Structure-Activity Relationships) to characterise the hazards of the e-liquid chemicals (environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and aquatic toxicity including hazardous concentration values (concentration affecting specific proportion of species)) for short-listing. RESULTS Of the 421 unique e-liquid chemicals compiled from literature, 35 are US Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous constituents, 42 are US Food and Drug Administration's harmful or potentially harmful constituents in tobacco products and smoke, and 20 are listed as both. Per hazard characteristics, we short-listed 81 chemicals that should be considered for future environmental impact and risk assessments, including tobacco-specific compounds (eg, nicotine, N'-nitrosonornicotine), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (eg, chrysene), flavours (eg, (-)caryophyllene oxide), metals (eg, lead), phthalates (eg, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) and flame retardants (eg, tris(4-methylphenyl)phosphate). IMPLICATIONS Our findings documenting various hazardous chemicals in the e-liquids underscore the importance of awareness and education when handling or disposing of e-liquids/e-cigarettes and aim to inform strategies to prevent and reduce hazards from e-cigarettes. This includes any scenario where e-liquids can come into contact with people or the environment during e-liquid storage, manufacturing, use, and disposal practices. Overall, our study characterises the environmental hazards of e-liquid chemicals and provides regulators and researchers a readily available list for future ecological and health risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Dilip Venugopal
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Susana Addo Ntim
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Reema Goel
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha M Reilly
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - William Brenner
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Shannon K Hanna
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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12
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Scholz VA, Stork C, Frericks M, Kirchmair J. Computational prediction of the metabolites of agrochemicals formed in rats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165039. [PMID: 37355108 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Today, computational tools for the prediction of the metabolite structures of xenobiotics are widely available and employed in small-molecule research. Reflecting the availability of measured data, these in silico tools are trained and validated primarily on drug metabolism data. In this work, we assessed the capacity of five leading metabolite structure predictors to represent the metabolism of agrochemicals observed in rats. More specifically, we tested the ability of SyGMa, GLORY, GLORYx, BioTransformer 3.0, and MetaTrans to correctly predict and rank the experimentally observed metabolites of a set of 85 parent compounds. We found that the models were able to recover about one to two-thirds of the experimentally observed first-generation, second-generation and third-generation metabolites, confirming their value in applications such as metabolite identification. However, precision was low for all investigated tools and did not exceed approximately 18 % for the pool of first-generation metabolites and 2 % for the pool of compounds representing the first three generations of metabolites. The variance in prediction success rates was high across the individual metabolic maps, meaning that outcomes depend strongly on the specific compound under investigation. We also found that the predictions for individual parent compounds differed strongly between the tools, particularly between those built on orthogonal technologies (e.g., rule-based and end-to-end machine learning approaches). This renders ensemble model strategies promising for improving success rates. Overall, the results of this benchmark study show that there is still considerable room for the improvement of metabolite structure predictors left. Our discussion points out several avenues to progress. The bottleneck in method development certainly has been, and will remain, for the foreseeable future, the limited quantity and quality of available measured data on small-molecule metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent-Alexander Scholz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences (PhaNuSpo), University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Molecular Informatics in the Biosciences, Department for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Gaines LGT, Sinclair G, Williams AJ. A proposed approach to defining per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) based on molecular structure and formula. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:1333-1347. [PMID: 36628931 PMCID: PMC10827356 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Various groups and researchers, including the authors of this work, have proposed different definitions of what constitutes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The different definitions are all based on a structural definition. Although a structural definition is reasonable, such an approach is difficult to execute if the intent is to narrow or refine the definition. This approach can also lead to inexplicable demarcations of what are and what are not PFAS. Our objective was to create a narrow, simple PFAS definition that allows interested groups to communicate with a common understanding and will also serve as a starting point to focus on substances that are of real environmental concern. Our studies have demonstrated that numerous highly fluorinated complex structures exist that make a structure-based definition difficult. We suggest that a definition based on fractional fluorination expressed as the percentage of fluorine of a molecular formula using atom counting offers advantages. Using a combination of a structure-based definition and a definition based on the fractional percentage of the molecular formula that is fluorine can provide a more inclusive and succinct definition. Thus, we propose a new definition based on four substructures along with any structures where the molecular formula is 30% fluorine by atom count. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1333-1347. Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda G. T. Gaines
- Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, Office of Land and Emergency Management, US Environmental Protection Agency, DC, Washington, USA
| | - Gabriel Sinclair
- ORAU Student Services Contractor to Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, NC, Research Triangle Park, USA
| | - Antony J. Williams
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, US Environmental Protection Agency, NC, Research Triangle Park, USA
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14
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Arnot JA, Toose L, Armitage JM, Embry M, Sangion A, Hughes L. A weight of evidence approach for bioaccumulation assessment. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:1235-1253. [PMID: 35049141 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation assessments conducted by regulatory agencies worldwide use a variety of methods, types of data, metrics, and categorization criteria. Lines of evidence (LoE) for bioaccumulation assessment can include bioaccumulation metrics such as in vivo bioconcentration factor (BCF) and biomagnification factor (BMF) data measured from standardized laboratory experiments, and field (monitoring) data such as BMFs, bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), and trophic magnification factors (TMFs). In silico predictions from mass-balance models and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) and a combination of in vitro biotransformation rates and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) models can also be used. The myriad bioaccumulation metrics and categorization criteria and underlying uncertainty in measured or modeled data can make decision-making challenging. A weight of evidence (WoE) approach is recommended to address uncertainty. The Bioaccumulation Assessment Tool (BAT) guides a user through the process of collecting and generating various LoE required for assessing the bioaccumulation of neutral and ionizable organic chemicals in aquatic (water-respiring) and air-breathing organisms. The BAT includes data evaluation templates (DETs) to critically evaluate the reliability of the LoE used in the assessment. The DETs were developed from standardized testing guidance. The approach used in the BAT is consistent with OECD and SETAC WoE principles and facilitates the implementation of chemical policy objectives in chemical assessment and management. The recommended methods are also iterative and tiered, providing pragmatic methods to reduce unnecessary animal testing. General concepts of the BAT are presented and case study applications of the tool for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) are demonstrated. The BAT provides a consistent and transparent WoE framework to address uncertainty in bioaccumulation assessment and is envisaged to evolve with scientific and regulatory developments. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1235-1253. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon A Arnot
- ARC Arnot Research & Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liisa Toose
- ARC Arnot Research & Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James M Armitage
- AES Armitage Environmental Sciences, Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Embry
- Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alessandro Sangion
- ARC Arnot Research & Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Hughes
- ARC Arnot Research & Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Buckley TJ, Egeghy PP, Isaacs K, Richard AM, Ring C, Sayre RR, Sobus JR, Thomas RS, Ulrich EM, Wambaugh JF, Williams AJ. Cutting-edge computational chemical exposure research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 178:108097. [PMID: 37478680 PMCID: PMC10588682 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Exposure science is evolving from its traditional "after the fact" and "one chemical at a time" approach to forecasting chemical exposures rapidly enough to keep pace with the constantly expanding landscape of chemicals and exposures. In this article, we provide an overview of the approaches, accomplishments, and plans for advancing computational exposure science within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development (EPA/ORD). First, to characterize the universe of chemicals in commerce and the environment, a carefully curated, web-accessible chemical resource has been created. This DSSTox database unambiguously identifies >1.2 million unique substances reflecting potential environmental and human exposures and includes computationally accessible links to each compound's corresponding data resources. Next, EPA is developing, applying, and evaluating predictive exposure models. These models increasingly rely on data, computational tools like quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models, and machine learning/artificial intelligence to provide timely and efficient prediction of chemical exposure (and associated uncertainty) for thousands of chemicals at a time. Integral to this modeling effort, EPA is developing data resources across the exposure continuum that includes application of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) non-targeted analysis (NTA) methods providing measurement capability at scale with the number of chemicals in commerce. These research efforts are integrated and well-tailored to support population exposure assessment to prioritize chemicals for exposure as a critical input to risk management. In addition, the exposure forecasts will allow a wide variety of stakeholders to explore sustainable initiatives like green chemistry to achieve economic, social, and environmental prosperity and protection of future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Buckley
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States.
| | - Peter P Egeghy
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Kristin Isaacs
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Ann M Richard
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Caroline Ring
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Risa R Sayre
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Jon R Sobus
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Russell S Thomas
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Elin M Ulrich
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - John F Wambaugh
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Antony J Williams
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
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16
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Newmeyer MN, Quirós-Alcalá L, Kavi LK, Louis LM, Prasse C. Implementing a suspect screening method to assess occupational chemical exposures among US-based hairdressers serving an ethnically diverse clientele: a pilot study. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:566-574. [PMID: 36693958 PMCID: PMC10363568 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are over 700,000 hairdressers in the United States, and it is estimated that >90% are female and 31% are Black or Hispanic/Latina. Racial and ethnic minorities in this workforce may be exposed to a unique mixture of potentially hazardous chemicals from products used and services provided. However, previous biomonitoring studies of hairdressers target a narrow list of compounds and few studies have investigated exposures among minority hairdressers. OBJECTIVE To assess occupational chemical exposures in a sample of US-based Black and Latina hairdressers serving an ethnically diverse clientele by analyzing urine specimens with a suspect screening method. METHODS Post-shift urine samples were collected from a sample of US female hairdressers (n = 23) and office workers (n = 17) and analyzed via reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Detected compounds were filtered based on peak area differences between groups and matching with a suspect screening list. When possible, compound identities were confirmed with reference standards. Possible exposure sources were evaluated for detected compounds. RESULTS The developed workflow allowed for the detection of 24 compounds with median peak areas ≥2x greater among hairdressers compared to office workers. Product use categories (PUCs) and harmonized functional uses were searched for these compounds, including confirmed compounds methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and 2-naphthol. Most product use categories were associated with "personal use" and included 11 different "hair styling and care" product types (e.g., hair conditioner, hair relaxer). Functional uses for compounds without associated PUCs included fragrance, hair and skin conditioning, hair dyeing, and UV stabilizer. SIGNIFICANCE Our suspect screening approach detected several compounds not previously reported in biomonitoring studies of hairdressers. These results will help guide future studies to improve characterization of occupational chemical exposures in this workforce and inform exposure and risk mitigation strategies to reduce potential associated work-related health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Newmeyer
- Department of Environmental Health & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá
- Department of Environmental Health & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Lucy K Kavi
- Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Lydia M Louis
- Department of Environmental Health & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Carsten Prasse
- Department of Environmental Health & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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17
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Minucci JM, Purucker ST, Isaacs KK, Wambaugh JF, Phillips KA. A Data-Driven Approach to Estimating Occupational Inhalation Exposure Using Workplace Compliance Data. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5947-5956. [PMID: 36995295 PMCID: PMC10100548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A growing list of chemicals are approved for production and use in the United States and elsewhere, and new approaches are needed to rapidly assess the potential exposure and health hazard posed by these substances. Here, we present a high-throughput, data-driven approach that will aid in estimating occupational exposure using a database of over 1.5 million observations of chemical concentrations in U.S. workplace air samples. We fit a Bayesian hierarchical model that uses industry type and the physicochemical properties of a substance to predict the distribution of workplace air concentrations. This model substantially outperforms a null model when predicting whether a substance will be detected in an air sample, and if so at what concentration, with 75.9% classification accuracy and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 1.00 log10 mg m-3 when applied to a held-out test set of substances. This modeling framework can be used to predict air concentration distributions for new substances, which we demonstrate by making predictions for 5587 new substance-by-workplace-type pairs reported in the US EPA's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) industrial use database. It also allows for improved consideration of occupational exposure within the context of high-throughput, risk-based chemical prioritization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Minucci
- Center
for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research
and Development, US Environmental Protection
Agency, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - S. Thomas Purucker
- Center
for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, US Environmental Protection
Agency, 109 TW Alexander
Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kristin K. Isaacs
- Center
for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, US Environmental Protection
Agency, 109 TW Alexander
Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - John F. Wambaugh
- Center
for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, US Environmental Protection
Agency, 109 TW Alexander
Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Katherine A. Phillips
- Center
for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, US Environmental Protection
Agency, 109 TW Alexander
Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
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18
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Richard AM, Lougee R, Adams M, Hidle H, Yang C, Rathman J, Magdziarz T, Bienfait B, Williams AJ, Patlewicz G. A New CSRML Structure-Based Fingerprint Method for Profiling and Categorizing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Chem Res Toxicol 2023; 36:508-534. [PMID: 36862450 PMCID: PMC10031568 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The term PFAS encompasses diverse per- and polyfluorinated alkyl (and increasingly aromatic) chemicals spanning industrial processes, commercial uses, environmental occurrence, and potential concerns. With increased chemical curation, currently exceeding 14,000 structures in the PFASSTRUCTV5 inventory on EPA's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard, has come increased motivation to profile, categorize, and analyze the PFAS structure space using modern cheminformatics approaches. Making use of the publicly available ToxPrint chemotypes and ChemoTyper application, we have developed a new PFAS-specific fingerprint set consisting of 129 TxP_PFAS chemotypes coded in CSRML, a chemical-based XML-query language. These are split into two groups, the first containing 56 mostly bond-type ToxPrints modified to incorporate attachment to either a CF group or F atom to enforce proximity to the fluorinated portion of the chemical. This focus resulted in a dramatic reduction in TxP_PFAS chemotype counts relative to the corresponding ToxPrint counts (averaging 54%). The remaining TxP_PFAS chemotypes consist of various lengths and types of fluorinated chains, rings, and bonding patterns covering indications of branching, alternate halogenation, and fluorotelomers. Both groups of chemotypes are well represented across the PFASSTRUCT inventory. Using the ChemoTyper application, we show how the TxP_PFAS chemotypes can be visualized, filtered, and used to profile the PFASSTRUCT inventory, as well as to construct chemically intuitive, structure-based PFAS categories. Lastly, we used a selection of expert-based PFAS categories from the OECD Global PFAS list to evaluate a small set of analogous structure-based TxP_PFAS categories. TxP_PFAS chemotypes were able to recapitulate the expert-based PFAS category concepts based on clearly defined structure rules that can be computationally implemented and reproducibly applied to process large PFAS inventories without need to consult an expert. The TxP_PFAS chemotypes have the potential to support computational modeling, harmonize PFAS structure-based categories, facilitate communication, and allow for more efficient and chemically informed exploration of PFAS chemicals moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Richard
- Center
for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Ryan Lougee
- Oak
Ridge Affiliated Universities Student Contractor to Center for Computational
Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Matthew Adams
- Oak
Ridge Affiliated Universities Student Contractor to Center for Computational
Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Hannah Hidle
- Oak
Ridge Affiliated Universities Student Contractor to Center for Computational
Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Chihae Yang
- MN-AM,
Molecular Networks GmbH & Altamira LLC, Nuremberg 90411, Germany
| | - James Rathman
- MN-AM,
Molecular Networks GmbH & Altamira LLC, Nuremberg 90411, Germany
| | - Tomasz Magdziarz
- MN-AM,
Molecular Networks GmbH & Altamira LLC, Nuremberg 90411, Germany
| | - Bruno Bienfait
- MN-AM,
Molecular Networks GmbH & Altamira LLC, Nuremberg 90411, Germany
| | - Antony J. Williams
- Center
for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Grace Patlewicz
- Center
for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina 27711, United States
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19
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Patlewicz G, Richard AM, Williams AJ, Judson RS, Thomas RS. Towards reproducible structure-based chemical categories for PFAS to inform and evaluate toxicity and toxicokinetic testing. COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 24:10.1016/j.comtox.2022.100250. [PMID: 36969381 PMCID: PMC10031514 DOI: 10.1016/j.comtox.2022.100250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are in widespread use and present concerns for persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Whilst a handful of PFAS have been characterised for their hazard profiles, the vast majority of PFAS have not been studied. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) undertook a research project to screen ~150 PFAS through an array of different in vitro high throughput toxicity and toxicokinetic tests in order to inform chemical category and read-across approaches. A previous publication described the rationale behind the selection of an initial set of 75 PFAS, whereas herein, we describe how various category approaches were applied and extended to inform the selection of a second set of 75 PFAS from our library of approximately 430 commercially procured PFAS. In particular, we focus on the challenges in grouping PFAS for prospective analysis and how we have sought to develop and apply objective structure-based categories to profile the testing library and other PFAS inventories. We additionally illustrate how these categories can be enriched with other information to facilitate read-across inferences once experimental data become available. The availability of flexible, objective, reproducible and chemically intuitive categories to explore PFAS constitutes an important step forward in prioritising PFAS for further testing and assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Patlewicz
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Ann M. Richard
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Antony J. Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Richard S. Judson
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Russell S. Thomas
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
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20
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Mohammed Taha H, Aalizadeh R, Alygizakis N, Antignac JP, Arp HPH, Bade R, Baker N, Belova L, Bijlsma L, Bolton EE, Brack W, Celma A, Chen WL, Cheng T, Chirsir P, Čirka Ľ, D’Agostino LA, Djoumbou Feunang Y, Dulio V, Fischer S, Gago-Ferrero P, Galani A, Geueke B, Głowacka N, Glüge J, Groh K, Grosse S, Haglund P, Hakkinen PJ, Hale SE, Hernandez F, Janssen EML, Jonkers T, Kiefer K, Kirchner M, Koschorreck J, Krauss M, Krier J, Lamoree MH, Letzel M, Letzel T, Li Q, Little J, Liu Y, Lunderberg DM, Martin JW, McEachran AD, McLean JA, Meier C, Meijer J, Menger F, Merino C, Muncke J, Muschket M, Neumann M, Neveu V, Ng K, Oberacher H, O’Brien J, Oswald P, Oswaldova M, Picache JA, Postigo C, Ramirez N, Reemtsma T, Renaud J, Rostkowski P, Rüdel H, Salek RM, Samanipour S, Scheringer M, Schliebner I, Schulz W, Schulze T, Sengl M, Shoemaker BA, Sims K, Singer H, Singh RR, Sumarah M, Thiessen PA, Thomas KV, Torres S, Trier X, van Wezel AP, Vermeulen RCH, Vlaanderen JJ, von der Ohe PC, Wang Z, Williams AJ, Willighagen EL, Wishart DS, Zhang J, Thomaidis NS, Hollender J, Slobodnik J, Schymanski EL. The NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE): facilitating European and worldwide collaboration on suspect screening in high resolution mass spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2022; 34:104. [PMID: 36284750 PMCID: PMC9587084 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-022-00680-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Background The NORMAN Association (https://www.norman-network.com/) initiated the NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE; https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/) in 2015, following the NORMAN collaborative trial on non-target screening of environmental water samples by mass spectrometry. Since then, this exchange of information on chemicals that are expected to occur in the environment, along with the accompanying expert knowledge and references, has become a valuable knowledge base for "suspect screening" lists. The NORMAN-SLE now serves as a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) chemical information resource worldwide. Results The NORMAN-SLE contains 99 separate suspect list collections (as of May 2022) from over 70 contributors around the world, totalling over 100,000 unique substances. The substance classes include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, pesticides, natural toxins, high production volume substances covered under the European REACH regulation (EC: 1272/2008), priority contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and regulatory lists from NORMAN partners. Several lists focus on transformation products (TPs) and complex features detected in the environment with various levels of provenance and structural information. Each list is available for separate download. The merged, curated collection is also available as the NORMAN Substance Database (NORMAN SusDat). Both the NORMAN-SLE and NORMAN SusDat are integrated within the NORMAN Database System (NDS). The individual NORMAN-SLE lists receive digital object identifiers (DOIs) and traceable versioning via a Zenodo community (https://zenodo.org/communities/norman-sle), with a total of > 40,000 unique views, > 50,000 unique downloads and 40 citations (May 2022). NORMAN-SLE content is progressively integrated into large open chemical databases such as PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and the US EPA's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard/), enabling further access to these lists, along with the additional functionality and calculated properties these resources offer. PubChem has also integrated significant annotation content from the NORMAN-SLE, including a classification browser (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/classification/#hid=101). Conclusions The NORMAN-SLE offers a specialized service for hosting suspect screening lists of relevance for the environmental community in an open, FAIR manner that allows integration with other major chemical resources. These efforts foster the exchange of information between scientists and regulators, supporting the paradigm shift to the "one substance, one assessment" approach. New submissions are welcome via the contacts provided on the NORMAN-SLE website (https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-022-00680-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Mohammed Taha
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Reza Aalizadeh
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | | | - Hans Peter H. Arp
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Ullevål Stadion, P.O. Box 3930, 0806 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Richard Bade
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102 Australia
| | | | - Lidia Belova
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lubertus Bijlsma
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Evan E. Bolton
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Werner Brack
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Alberto Celma
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Wen-Ling Chen
- Institute of Food Safety and Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Xuzhou Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tiejun Cheng
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Parviel Chirsir
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Ľuboš Čirka
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
- Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Institute of Information Engineering, Automation, and Mathematics, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Lisa A. D’Agostino
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Valeria Dulio
- INERIS, National Institute for Environment and Industrial Risks, Verneuil en Halatte, France
| | - Stellan Fischer
- Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI), P.O. Box 2, 172 13 Sundbyberg, Sweden
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research-Severo Ochoa Excellence Center (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aikaterini Galani
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Birgit Geueke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Staffelstrasse 10, 8045 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Głowacka
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Juliane Glüge
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ksenia Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Grosse
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Dornierstrasse 4, 82110 Germering, Germany
| | - Peter Haglund
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biological Centre (KBC), Umeå University, Linnaeus Väg 6, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pertti J. Hakkinen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Sarah E. Hale
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Ullevål Stadion, P.O. Box 3930, 0806 Oslo, Norway
| | - Felix Hernandez
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Elisabeth M.-L. Janssen
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Tim Jonkers
- Department Environment and Health, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Kiefer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Michal Kirchner
- Water Research Institute (WRI), Nábr. Arm. Gen. L. Svobodu 5, 81249 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Jan Koschorreck
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jessy Krier
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Marja H. Lamoree
- Department Environment and Health, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marion Letzel
- Bavarian Environment Agency, 86179 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Letzel
- Analytisches Forschungsinstitut Für Non-Target Screening GmbH (AFIN-TS), Am Mittleren Moos 48, 86167 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Qingliang Li
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - James Little
- Mass Spec Interpretation Services, 3612 Hemlock Park Drive, Kingsport, TN 37663 USA
| | - Yanna Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SKLECE, RCEES, CAS), No. 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100086 China
| | - David M. Lunderberg
- Hope College, Holland, MI 49422 USA
- University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Jonathan W. Martin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrew D. McEachran
- Agilent Technologies, Inc., 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051 USA
| | - John A. McLean
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 USA
| | - Christiane Meier
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Jeroen Meijer
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Menger
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carla Merino
- University Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Biosfer Teslab, Reus, Spain
| | - Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Staffelstrasse 10, 8045 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Neumann
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Vanessa Neveu
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon Cedex 08, France
| | - Kelsey Ng
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jake O’Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102 Australia
| | - Peter Oswald
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Martina Oswaldova
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Jaqueline A. Picache
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Innovative Technology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 USA
| | - Cristina Postigo
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
- Technologies for Water Management and Treatment Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva S/N, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Noelia Ramirez
- University Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Institute of Health Research Pere Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Justin Renaud
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | | | - Heinz Rüdel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Reza M. Salek
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon Cedex 08, France
| | - Saer Samanipour
- Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, Amsterdam, 1090 GD The Netherlands
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Schliebner
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schulz
- Laboratory for Operation Control and Research, Zweckverband Landeswasserversorgung, Am Spitzigen Berg 1, 89129 Langenau, Germany
| | - Tobias Schulze
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manfred Sengl
- Bavarian Environment Agency, 86179 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin A. Shoemaker
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Kerry Sims
- Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AH UK
| | - Heinz Singer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Randolph R. Singh
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Chemical Contamination of Marine Ecosystems (CCEM) Unit, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Rue de l’Ile d’Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Cedex 3, Nantes France
| | - Mark Sumarah
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | - Paul A. Thiessen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Kevin V. Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102 Australia
| | | | - Xenia Trier
- Section for Environmental Chemistry and Physics, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Annemarie P. van Wezel
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roel C. H. Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle J. Vlaanderen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Zhanyun Wang
- Technology and Society Laboratory, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Antony J. Williams
- Computational Chemistry and Cheminformatics Branch (CCCB), Chemical Characterization and Exposure Division (CCED), Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), United States Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - Egon L. Willighagen
- Department of Bioinformatics-BiGCaT, NUTRIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jian Zhang
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 USA
| | - Nikolaos S. Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Emma L. Schymanski
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
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21
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Becker RA, Bianchi E, LaRocca J, Marty MS, Mehta V. Identifying the landscape of developmental toxicity new approach methodologies. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1123-1137. [PMID: 36205106 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dynamics and complexities of in utero fetal development create significant challenges in transitioning from lab animal-centric developmental toxicity testing methods to assessment strategies based on new approach methodologies (NAMs). Nevertheless, considerable progress is being made, stimulated by increased research investments and scientific advances, such as induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models. To help identify developmental toxicity NAMs for toxicity screening and potential funding through the American Chemistry Council's Long-Range Research Initiative, a systematic literature review was conducted to better understand the current landscape of developmental toxicity NAMs. METHODS Scoping review tools were used to systematically survey the literature (2010-2021; ~18,000 references identified), results and metadata were then extracted, and a user-friendly interactive dashboard was created. RESULTS The data visualization dashboard, developed using Tableau® software, is provided as a free, open-access web tool. This dashboard enables straightforward interactive queries and visualizations to identify trends and to distinguish and understand areas or NAMs where research has been most, or least focused. CONCLUSIONS Herein, we describe the approach and methods used, summarize the benefits and challenges of applying the systematic-review techniques, and highlight the types of questions and answers for which the dashboard can be used to explore the many different facets of developmental toxicity NAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Becker
- American Chemistry Council, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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22
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Sinclair G, Thillainadarajah I, Meyer B, Samano V, Sivasupramaniam S, Adams L, Willighagen EL, Richard AM, Walker M, Williams AJ. Wikipedia on the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard: Connecting Resources to Enrich Public Chemical Data. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:4888-4905. [PMID: 36215146 PMCID: PMC9597659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The online encyclopedia
Wikipedia aggregates a large amount of
data on chemistry, encompassing well over 20,000 individual Wikipedia
pages and serves the general public as well as the chemistry community.
Many other chemical databases and services utilize these data, and
previous projects have focused on methods to index, search, and extract
it for review and use. We present a comprehensive effort that combines
bulk automated data extraction over tens of thousands of pages, semiautomated
data extraction over hundreds of pages, and fine-grained manual extraction
of individual lists and compounds of interest. We then correlate these
data with the existing contents of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox)
database. This was performed with a number of intentions including
ensuring as complete a mapping as possible between the Dashboard and
Wikipedia so that relevant snippets of the article are loaded for
the user to review. Conflicts between Dashboard content and Wikipedia
in terms of, for example, identifiers such as chemical registry numbers,
names, and InChIs and structure-based collisions such as SMILES were
identified and used as the basis of curation of both DSSTox and Wikipedia.
This work also allowed us to evaluate available data for sets of chemicals
of interest to the Agency, such as synthetic cannabinoids, and expand
the content in DSSTox as appropriate. This work also led to improved
bidirectional linkage of the detailed chemistry and usage information
from Wikipedia with expert-curated structure and identifier data from
DSSTox for a new list of nearly 20,000 chemicals. All of this work
ultimately enhances the data mappings that allow for the display of
the introduction of the Wikipedia article in the community-accessible
web-based EPA Comptox Chemicals Dashboard, enhancing the user experience
for the thousands of users per day accessing the resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Sinclair
- ORAU Student Services Contractor to Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Inthirany Thillainadarajah
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Brian Meyer
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Vicente Samano
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Sakuntala Sivasupramaniam
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Linda Adams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Egon L Willighagen
- Department of Bioinformatics─BiGCaT, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ann M Richard
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Martin Walker
- Martin Walker, SUNY Potsdam─Chemistry, 44 Pierrepont Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Antony J Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
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23
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Phillips AL, Williams AJ, Sobus JR, Ulrich EM, Gundersen J, Langlois-Miller C, Newton SR. A Framework for Utilizing High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nontargeted Analysis in Rapid Response and Emergency Situations. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:1117-1130. [PMID: 34416028 PMCID: PMC9280853 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Unknown chemical releases constitute a large portion of the rapid response situations to which the US Environmental Protection Agency is called on to respond. Workflows used to address unknown chemical releases currently involve screening for a large array of known compounds using many different targeted methods. When matches are not found, expert analytical chemistry knowledge is used to propose possible candidates from the available data, which generally includes low-resolution mass spectra and situational clues such as the location of the release, nearby industrial operations, and other field-reported facts. The past decade has witnessed dramatic improvements in capabilities for identifying unknown compounds using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nontargeted analysis (NTA) approaches. Complementary developments in cheminformatics tools have further enabled an increase in NTA throughput and identification confidence. Together with the expanding availability of HRMS instrumentation in monitoring laboratories, these advancements make NTA highly relevant to rapid response scenarios. In this article, we introduce the concept of NTA as it relates to rapid response needs and describe how it can be applied to address unknown chemical releases. We advocate for the consideration of HRMS-based NTA approaches to support future rapid response scenarios. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1117-1130. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Phillips
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Antony J. Williams
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Jon R. Sobus
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Elin M. Ulrich
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Jennifer Gundersen
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Christina Langlois-Miller
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Land and Emergency Management, Office of Emergency Management, Washington D.C. 20460
| | - Seth R. Newton
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
- Corresponding author contact information: Seth R. Newton, , Mail: 109 T.W. Alexander Drive E205-05, RTP, NC 27711
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24
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Curation of a list of chemicals in biosolids from EPA National Sewage Sludge Surveys & Biennial Review Reports. Sci Data 2022; 9:180. [PMID: 35440785 PMCID: PMC9018786 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01267-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Section 405(d) of the Clean Water Act requires the US Environmental Protection Agency to review sewage sludge regulations every two years to identify any additional pollutants that may occur in biosolids and to set regulations for pollutants identified in biosolids if sufficient scientific evidence shows they may harm human health or the environment. To date, EPA has conducted eight biennial reviews to identify chemical and microbial pollutants and three national sewage sludge surveys to identify pollutants and obtain concentration data for chemicals found in biosolids. Prior to 2021, there was inconsistent reporting of chemicals identified and EPA did not cumulatively track chemicals in biosolids. Through the efforts presented here, EPA produced a list of 726 chemicals and structure-based classes found in biosolids based on biennial reviews and national sewage sludge surveys. Summary statistics of concentration data are also reported for the 484 chemicals found in the three national sewage sludge surveys. The creation of the Biosolids List supports EPA in assessing the potential risk of chemical pollutants found in biosolids.
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25
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Hirte S, Burk O, Tahir A, Schwab M, Windshügel B, Kirchmair J. Development and Experimental Validation of Regularized Machine Learning Models Detecting New, Structurally Distinct Activators of PXR. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081253. [PMID: 35455933 PMCID: PMC9029776 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The pregnane X receptor (PXR) regulates the metabolism of many xenobiotic and endobiotic substances. In consequence, PXR decreases the efficacy of many small-molecule drugs and induces drug-drug interactions. The prediction of PXR activators with theoretical approaches such as machine learning (ML) proves challenging due to the ligand promiscuity of PXR, which is related to its large and flexible binding pocket. In this work we demonstrate, by the example of random forest models and support vector machines, that classifiers generated following classical training procedures often fail to predict PXR activity for compounds that are dissimilar from those in the training set. We present a novel regularization technique that penalizes the gap between a model’s training and validation performance. On a challenging test set, this technique led to improvements in Matthew correlation coefficients (MCCs) by up to 0.21. Using these regularized ML models, we selected 31 compounds that are structurally distinct from known PXR ligands for experimental validation. Twelve of them were confirmed as active in the cellular PXR ligand-binding domain assembly assay and more hits were identified during follow-up studies. Comprehensive analysis of key features of PXR biology conducted for three representative hits confirmed their ability to activate the PXR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Hirte
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Oliver Burk
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Tübingen, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany; (O.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Ammar Tahir
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Tübingen, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany; (O.B.); (M.S.)
- Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence IFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Björn Windshügel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany;
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-1-4277-55104
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26
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Williams AJ, Gaines LGT, Grulke CM, Lowe CN, Sinclair GFB, Samano V, Thillainadarajah I, Meyer B, Patlewicz G, Richard AM. Assembly and Curation of Lists of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to Support Environmental Science Research. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2022; 10:1-13. [PMID: 35936994 PMCID: PMC9350880 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.850019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made chemicals of global concern for many health and regulatory agencies due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment (in soil, air, and water), bioaccumulation, and toxicity. This concern has catalyzed a need to aggregate data to support research efforts that can, in turn, inform regulatory and statutory actions. An ongoing challenge regarding PFAS has been the shifting definition of what qualifies a substance to be a member of the PFAS class. There is no single definition for a PFAS, but various attempts have been made to utilize substructural definitions that either encompass broad working scopes or satisfy narrower regulatory guidelines. Depending on the size and specificity of PFAS substructural filters applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) DSSTox database, currently exceeding 900,000 unique substances, PFAS substructure-defined space can span hundreds to tens of thousands of compounds. This manuscript reports on the curation of PFAS chemicals and assembly of lists that have been made publicly available to the community via the EPA's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard. Creation of these PFAS lists required the harvesting of data from EPA and online databases, peer-reviewed publications, and regulatory documents. These data have been extracted and manually curated, annotated with structures, and made available to the community in the form of lists defined by structure filters, as well as lists comprising non-structurable PFAS, such as polymers and complex mixtures. These lists, along with their associated linkages to predicted and measured data, are fueling PFAS research efforts within the EPA and are serving as a valuable resource to the international scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony J. Williams
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Linda G. T. Gaines
- Office of Land and Emergency Management, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Christopher M. Grulke
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Charles N. Lowe
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Gabriel F. B. Sinclair
- ORAU Student Services Contractor to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Oak Ridge, NC, United States
| | - Vicente Samano
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Inthirany Thillainadarajah
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Bryan Meyer
- Senior Environmental Employment Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Grace Patlewicz
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ann M. Richard
- Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States
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Richard AM, Hidle H, Patlewicz G, Williams AJ. Identification of Branched and Linear Forms of PFOA and Potential Precursors: A User-Friendly SMILES Structure-based Approach. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2022; 10:1-865488. [PMID: 35494535 PMCID: PMC9048161 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.865488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related compounds are per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) of concern from toxicological, environmental, and regulatory perspectives. In 2019, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants listed PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related compounds in Annex A to the Convention. Additionally, the listing specifically included PFOA branched isomers and compounds containing a perfluoroheptyl (C7F15)C moiety, with some noted exclusions. A draft updated "Indicative List" of 393 PFASs (335 with defined structures), each specified as falling within or outside the listing, was released for comment in 2021. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's CompTox Chemicals Dashboard has published a curated PFAS list containing more than 10,700 structures. Applying the PFOA and related compounds listing definition to screen this list required a structure-based approach capable of discerning salts and branched or linear forms of the (C7F15)C moiety. A PFOA SMILES workflow and associated Excel macro file, developed to address this need, applies a series of text substitution rules to a set of canonicalized SMILES structure representations to convert branched forms of the (C7F15)C moiety to linear forms to aid their detection. The approach correctly classified each Stockholm Convention draft Indicative List structure relative to the PFOA and related compounds definition, and accurately discerned branched and linear forms of the (C7F15)C moiety in over 10,700 PFAS structures with 100% sensitivity (no false negatives) and 99.7% accuracy (35 false positives). Approximately 20% of structures in the large PFAS list fell within the PFOA and related compounds definition, and 10% of those were branched. The present work highlights the need to computationally detect branched forms of PFASs and promotes the use of unambiguous, structure-based definitions, along with tools that are publicly available and easy to use, to support clear communication and regulatory action within the PFAS community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Richard
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office
of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Hannah Hidle
- ORAU Student Services Contractor to Center for
Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Triangle Park, NC, United
States
| | - Grace Patlewicz
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office
of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Antony J. Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure, Office
of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, Triangle Park, NC, United States
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28
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Tang W, Liu W, Wang Z, Hong H, Chen J. Machine learning models on chemical inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport chain. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 426:128067. [PMID: 34920224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chemicals can induce adverse effects in humans by inhibiting mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) such as disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential, enhancing oxidative stress and causing some diseases. Thus, identifying ETC inhibitors (ETCi) is important to chemical risk assessment and protecting the public health. However, it is not feasible to identify all ETCi with experimental methods. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling is a promising method to rapidly and effectively identify ETCi. In this study, QSAR models for predicting ETCi were developed using machine learning methods. A clustering-based under-sampling (CBUS) method was developed to handle the imbalance issue in training sets. Structure-activity landscapes were generated and analyzed for training sets generated by the CBUS method. The consensus QSAR models constructed with CBUS achieved satisfactory performances (balanced accuracy = 0.852) in 100 iterations of five-fold cross validations, indicating the models can effectively classify ETCi. The classification model was further employed to screen chemicals in the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances of China and 13 chemicals were identified as ETCi. Fifteen structural alerts for ETCi were identified in this study. These results demonstrated that the model and structural alerts are useful to screen ETCi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Wenjia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Zhongyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Huixiao Hong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, 3900 NCTR Rd, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
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29
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Predicting compound amenability with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to improve non-targeted analysis. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 413:7495-7508. [PMID: 34648052 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03713-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
With the increasing availability of high-resolution mass spectrometers, suspect screening and non-targeted analysis are becoming popular compound identification tools for environmental researchers. Samples of interest often contain a large (unknown) number of chemicals spanning the detectable mass range of the instrument. In an effort to separate these chemicals prior to injection into the mass spectrometer, a chromatography method is often utilized. There are numerous types of gas and liquid chromatographs that can be coupled to commercially available mass spectrometers. Depending on the type of instrument used for analysis, the researcher is likely to observe a different subset of compounds based on the amenability of those chemicals to the selected experimental techniques and equipment. It would be advantageous if this subset of chemicals could be predicted prior to conducting the experiment, in order to minimize potential false-positive and false-negative identifications. In this work, we utilize experimental datasets to predict the amenability of chemical compounds to detection with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). The assembled dataset totals 5517 unique chemicals either explicitly detected or not detected with LC-ESI-MS. The resulting detected/not-detected matrix has been modeled using specific molecular descriptors to predict which chemicals are amenable to LC-ESI-MS, and to which form(s) of ionization. Random forest models, including a measure of the applicability domain of the model for both positive and negative modes of the electrospray ionization source, were successfully developed. The outcome of this work will help to inform future suspect screening and non-targeted analyses of chemicals by better defining the potential LC-ESI-MS detectable chemical landscape of interest.
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30
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Williams AJ, Lambert JC, Thayer K, Dorne JLCM. Sourcing data on chemical properties and hazard data from the US-EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard: A practical guide for human risk assessment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 154:106566. [PMID: 33934018 PMCID: PMC9667884 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
For the past six decades, human health risk assessment of chemicals has relied on in vivo data from human epidemiological and experimental animal toxicological studies to inform the derivation of non-cancer toxicity values. The ongoing evolution of this risk assessment paradigm in an environmental landscape of data-poor chemicals has highlighted the need to develop and implement non-testing methods, so-called New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). NAMs include a growing number of in silico and in vitro data streams designed to inform hazard properties of chemicals, including kinetics and dynamics at different levels of biological organization, environmental fate and transport, and exposure. NAMs provide a fit-for-purpose science-basis for human hazard and risk characterization of chemicals ranging from data-gap filling applications to broad evidence-based decision-making. Systematic assembly and delivery of empirical and predicted data for chemicals are paramount to advancing chemical evaluation, and software tools serve an essential role in delivering these data to the scientific community. The CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (from here on referred to as the "Dashboard") is one such tool and is a publicly available web-based application developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency to provide access to chemistry, toxicity and exposure information for ~900,000 chemicals. The Dashboard is increasingly becoming a valuable resource for assessors tasked with the evaluation of potential human health risks associated with chemical exposures. In this context, the significant amount of information present in the Dashboard facilitates: 1) assembly of information on physicochemical properties and environmental fate and transport and exposure parameters and metrics; 2) identification of cancer and non-cancer health effects from extant human and experimental animal studies in the public domain and/or information not available in the public domain (i.e., "grey literature"); 3) systematic literature searching and review for developing cancer and non-cancer hazard evidence bases; and 4) access to mechanistic information that can aid or augment the analysis of traditional toxicology evidence bases, or potentially, serve as the primary basis for informing hazard identification and dose-response when traditional bioassay data are lacking. Finally, in silico predictive tools developed to conduct structure-activity or read-across analyses are also available within the Dashboard. This practical tutorial is intended to address key questions from the human health risk assessment community dealing with chemicals in both food and in the environment. Perspectives for future development or refinement of the Dashboard highlight foreseen activities to further support the research and risk assessment community in cancer and non-cancer chemical evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony J Williams
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Jason C Lambert
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kris Thayer
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jean-Lou C M Dorne
- Scientific Committee and Emerging Risks Unit, Department of Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance, European Food Safety Authority, 43126 Parma, Italy
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31
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Holmer M, de Bruyn Kops C, Stork C, Kirchmair J. CYPstrate: A Set of Machine Learning Models for the Accurate Classification of Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Substrates and Non-Substrates. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154678. [PMID: 34361831 PMCID: PMC8347321 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of small organic molecules such as drugs, agrochemicals, and cosmetics with cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) can lead to substantial changes in the bioavailability of active substances and hence consequences with respect to pharmacological efficacy and toxicity. Therefore, efficient means of predicting the interactions of small organic molecules with CYPs are of high importance to a host of different industries. In this work, we present a new set of machine learning models for the classification of xenobiotics into substrates and non-substrates of nine human CYP isozymes: CYPs 1A2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4. The models are trained on an extended, high-quality collection of known substrates and non-substrates and have been subjected to thorough validation. Our results show that the models yield competitive performance and are favorable for the detection of CYP substrates. In particular, a new consensus model reached high performance, with Matthews correlation coefficients (MCCs) between 0.45 (CYP2C8) and 0.85 (CYP3A4), although at the cost of coverage. The best models presented in this work are accessible free of charge via the "CYPstrate" module of the New E-Resource for Drug Discovery (NERDD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Holmer
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Informatics, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (M.H.); (C.d.B.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Christina de Bruyn Kops
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Informatics, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (M.H.); (C.d.B.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Conrad Stork
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Informatics, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (M.H.); (C.d.B.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Informatics, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (M.H.); (C.d.B.K.); (C.S.)
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
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