Advances in bioanalytical techniques for toxicological applications: Emerging techniques, challenges, and future directions

Abstract

Bioanalytical chemistry has become an essential part of modern toxicological research, offering the sensitivity and precision needed to detect chemical exposures in biological systems. This review highlights the critical role of bioanalytical techniques in identifying toxic substances, studying their behaviour in complex biological environments, and connecting these exposures to harmful health effects. As toxicology becomes more predictive and mechanistic, advanced tools like mass spectrometry, chromatography, and electron microscopy have significantly improved the analysis of toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic methods in environmental, pharmaceutical, and forensic fields. This work also explains current innovations such as GC-MS, LC-MS, and other hyphenated techniques, along with emerging tools like mass spectrometry imaging, microfluidic systems, and AI-driven data analysis. It emphasizes the structural assessment of nanomaterials through electron microscopy and the monitoring of biochemical changes using vibrational spectroscopy. Furthermore, it addresses important aspects of sample preparation, automation technologies, and multi-omics integration for enhanced risk assessment and biomonitoring. Looking forward, the future of toxicology lies in cross-disciplinary collaboration. The continued development of bioanalytical techniques, combined with computational models and systems biology, will be vital in overcoming key challenges and improving the accuracy of toxicological evaluations to a better protection of human and environmental health.

Keywords: Bioanalytical chemistry; Instrumental analysis; Sample preparation; Toxicological research.