Lipidomics and Environmental Toxicology: Recent Trends

Abstract The versatility of lipidomic applications has been increasingly recognized in environmental toxicology in recent years. The unmatched diversity and ubiquitous nature of lipids makes them exceptional candidates in the discovery of sensitive biomarkers for various diseases in animals and humans. In this short review, we highlight recent studies (since 2017) that implement lipidomics as a tool to examine the effects of environmental stress (e.g., exposure) using in vitro and in vivo models. Specifically, this includes lipidomic examinations of exposure to organic pollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and bisphenols, and heavy metals, such as arsenic and mercury, among others, in cell culture, animal and human studies. Innovative developments in analyte separation technologies, mass spectrometry instrumentation and advanced data acquisition strategies will continue to drive new developments in systems biology. Thus, it is important to recognize the importance of adopting lipidomics into multiple -omic investigations in this burgeoning field (environmental lipidomics).