The Next Frontier of Environmental Unknowns: Substances of Unknown or Variable Composition, Complex Reaction Products, or Biological Materials (UVCBs).

ABSTRACT: Substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, or biological materials (UVCBs) are over 70 000 "complex" chemical mixtures produced and used at significant levels worldwide. Due to their unknown or variable composition, applying chemical assessments originally developed for individual compounds to UVCBs is challenging, which impedes sound management of these substances. Across the analytical sciences, toxicology, cheminformatics, and regulatory practice, new approaches addressing specific aspects of UVCB assessment are being developed, albeit in a fragmented manner. This review attempts to convey the "big picture" of the state of the art in dealing with UVCBs by holistically examining UVCB characterization and chemical identity representation, as well as hazard,

SUBMITTER: Lai A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9228065 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature