Breath-based analytical approaches for monitoring environmental exposure and respiratory health
Research conducted at LELS contributed to the development and application of analytical approaches for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath as non-invasive biomarkers associated with respiratory disease, microbial infection and environmental exposure responses. The work combines analytical chemistry, environmental exposure science and clinical research to investigate the potential of breath analysis for monitoring respiratory health and environmentally influenced physiological responses.
A major contribution of this research was the identification and characterization of volatile compounds linked to respiratory conditions, bacterial lung infections and exposure-related biological responses. The research demonstrated the potential of breath-based analytical approaches for rapid and non-invasive monitoring of disease-related and environmentally associated physiological processes, particularly in critically ill patients. The work also contributed to improved understanding of the biological and analytical challenges associated with VOC-based biomarker interpretation and breath analysis in clinical and environmental settings.
The research contributes to the development of non-invasive analytical methodologies for monitoring physiological responses associated with respiratory disease and environmental exposure. The work addresses important interdisciplinary challenges at the interface of analytical chemistry, environmental health, and exposure science, while supporting broader efforts toward early detection and monitoring of environmentally influenced respiratory conditions and pollution exposure. The research contributes to the growing development of translational analytical tools relevant to personalized medicine, environmental health assessment and respiratory disease management.
The methodological developments contributed to improved analytical transparency and understanding of the limitations and variability associated with breath-based VOC analysis. Future development should focus on improving standardization of sampling and analytical procedures, and integration of breath-based monitoring approaches into environmentally and clinically relevant exposure assessment workflows.
The research was conducted through extensive international and interdisciplinary collaboration involving clinical, analytical and biomedical partners. The work resulted in publications in highly recognized international journals including Clinical Infectious Diseases, Thorax and Trends in Analytical Chemistry, and contributed to the growing international visibility of UNG research in analytical chemistry, environmental health and translational diagnostics.
- Ahmed W, Fenn D, White IR, Dixon B, Nijsen TME, Knobel H, Brinkman P, van Oort PM, Schultz MJ, Dark P, et al.; BreathDx Consortium (2023). Microbial volatiles as diagnostic biomarkers of bacterial lung infection in mechanically ventilated patients. Clinical Infectious Diseases 76(6):1059–1066.
- Peel A, Wang R, Ahmed W, White IR, Wilkinson M, Loke YK, Wilson AM, Fowler SJ (2023). Changes in exhaled volatile organic compounds following indirect bronchial challenge in suspected asthma. Thorax 78(10):966–973.
- Magnano MC, Ahmed W, Wang R, Bergant Marušič M, Fowler SJ, White IR (2024). Exhaled volatile organic compounds and respiratory disease: Recent progress and future outlook. Trends in Analytical Chemistry 176:117739.