Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences in 2025
2026-02-06
Beyond Detection: Evolving Frontiers in Analytical Techniques for Environmental Pollutant Assessment
Authors
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Yijie Zhu
Geophysical Exploration Academy, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau Baoding, Baoding 071000, China
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Meng Yu
Geophysical Exploration Academy, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau Baoding, Baoding 071000, China
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Yixiao Ruan
Geophysical Exploration Academy, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau Baoding, Baoding 071000, China
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Jingfei Shen
Geophysical Exploration Academy, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau Baoding, Baoding 071000, China
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Jiaxu Yuan
Geophysical Exploration Academy, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau Baoding, Baoding 071000, China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.13220Abstract
The definition of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly diverse, with accelerating change and exposure to complex mixtures that defy traditional detection-based monitoring approaches. We discuss the current trends in environmental analytical chemistry whereby, rather than targeted quantification, an integrated pollutant assessment, which upholds chemical discovery, interpretability, and real-world relevance, is desired. We initially explain the conceptual change between preset sets of analytes to the chemical space exploration made possible by exploring the chemical space using high-resolution mass spectrometry, multidimensional separations, and rapid/direct analysis technologies. We next mention how the new classes of contaminants and transformation products, as well as the complexity of mixtures, reveal the long-standing gaps in sensitivity, selectivity, and confidence of the identification, especially in the non-targeted workflows. In response to such limitations, we now mention changes that combine chemical measurement with biological and data-informed aspects, such as effect-based assays, exposure-oriented metrics, chemometrics, and machine learning feature prioritization and structure annotation. We also look at the transformation of higher orders of analytical products into clean-up programs and decision programs, which should focus on continuous and in-place sensing, tiered monitoring designs, and risk-based prioritization plans that more closely reflect the changing realities of the environment. Lastly, we determine future research requirements in harmonization, open data infrastructure, and reproducibility, and the development of autonomous and intelligent analytical systems that can perform adaptive monitoring and provide insights quickly. All these changing frontiers transform environmental analysis into a detection instrument into an actionable environmental intelligence that can be used to proactively manage and protect the ecosystems and human health.
Keywords:
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry; Non-Target Screening; Effect-Based Assessment; Chemometrics and Machine Learning; Environmental MonitoringReferences
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How to Cite
Zhu, Y., Yu, M., Ruan, Y., Shen, J., & Yuan, J. (2026). Beyond Detection: Evolving Frontiers in Analytical Techniques for Environmental Pollutant Assessment. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(3), 266–282. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.13220
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Copyright © 2026 Yijie Zhu, Meng Yu, Yixiao Ruan, Jingfei Shen, Jiaxu Yuan
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
