Metabolomics as a valid analytical technique in environmental exposure research: application and progress

Background In recent years, studies have shown that exposure to environmental pollutants (e.g., radiation, heavy metal substances, air pollutants, organic pollutants) is a leading cause of human non-communicable diseases. The key to disease prevention is to clarify the harmful mechanisms and toxic effects of environmental pollutants on the body. Metabolomics is a high-sensitivity, high-throughput omics technology that can obtain detailed metabolite information of an organism. It is a crucial tool for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the pathway network regulation mechanism of the organism. Its application is widespread in many research fields such as environmental exposure assessment, medicine, systems biology, and biomarker discovery. Aim of review Recent findings show that metabolomics can be used to obtain molecular snapshots of organisms after environmental exposure, to help understand the interaction between environmental exposure and organisms, and to identify potential biomarkers and biological mechanisms. Key scientific concepts of review This review focuses on the application of metabolomics to understand the biological effects of radiation, heavy metals, air pollution, and persistent organic pollutants exposure, and examines some potential biomarkers and toxicity mechanisms.