Exposure Science in the 21st Century: Advancing the Science and Technology of Environmental Sensors through Cooperation and Collaboration across U.S. Federal Agencies.

Janis Hulla,David Balshaw,Vasu Kilaru,Tim Watkins,Gregory Doucette

doi:10.3390/chemosensors8030069

Abstract

The convergence of technological innovations in areas such as microelectronics, fabrication, the Internet-of-things (IoT), and smartphones, along with their associated “apps”, permeates many aspects of life. To that list we now can add environmental monitoring. Once the sole purview of governments and academics in research, this sector is currently experiencing a transformation that is democratizing monitoring with inexpensive, portable commodities available through online retailers. However, as with any emerging area, several challenges and infrastructural hurdles must be addressed before this technology can be fully adopted and its potential be realized. A unique aspect of environmental sensing that differentiates it from some other technology sectors is its strong intersection and overlap with governance, public policy, public health, and national security—all of which contain some element of inherent governmental function. This paper advocates for and addresses the role of sensors in exposure science and illustrates areas in which improved coordination and leveraging of investments by government have helped and would catalyze further development of this technology sector.

Highlights

To meet the challenges associated with implementing environmental sensor-based applications, many U.S federal agencies have initiated efforts to understand the capabilities of these technologies to support their mission and are aiding the overall development of this technology sector through research, grants, and contracts
Dosimeters” subgroup of the ES21 FWG was to review the recommendations of the report, inventory current and emerging tools, identify major gaps, and develop options for new approaches that may enhance or replace older approaches
Given the breadth of scientific disciplines that comprise exposure science, the National Academy of Sciences Medicine and Engineering (NASME) report asserted that greater coordination across scientific disciplines, as well as across the federal government, was necessary in order to incorporate advancements in science and technology already being used in related domains, such as genomics and toxicology, into exposure science

Summary

Introduction

To meet the challenges associated with implementing environmental sensor-based applications, many U.S federal agencies have initiated efforts to understand the capabilities of these technologies to support their mission and are aiding the overall development of this technology sector through research, grants, and contracts. Advancements in computational methods [3], high-throughput screening techniques [4,5], the aggregation, integration, and analysis of multiple data streams (big data), and use of new and novel technologies (including sensors) have impacted the evolution and capabilities of exposure science in recent years and offer even greater promise in the future. Implementing infrastructural elements such as data standards, ontologies, and the provision of linked open data with computable semantics are necessary to realize the NASME’s broader vision for advancing exposure science. While the idea of quantifying the exposome for every possible exposure may be impractical to nearly impossible in many cases with today’s state of the science, the use of sensor technologies for personal exposure monitoring may allow us, in the near future, to come close to quantifying an exposome for a limited number of chemical stressors

Current Approach

The Collaborative Role of the Federal Government

Moving Forward