The peer-reviewed toxicological literature contains twice as many studies pertaining to the River Thames (United Kingdom) than to the Congo River (Central Africa), despite the latter's watershed being roughly 250 times larger and sustaining a 5-fold greater human population (Web of Science database). Protecting such underresearched natural resources from chemical contamination requires local research to fill knowledge gaps, attention to regional expertise, and incorporation of local communities into the decision-making process. The support of regional, collaborative networks may be the most important of these because they will be most responsive to emerging ecotoxicological concerns as they develop.

The historic dearth of ecotoxicological data from less intensively researched regions of the world exists because of constraints that remain to this day. Logistical challenges are often more formidable and fundamental in the less resourced regions of the world and represent barriers of entry for even the most rudimentary experiments to be accomplished successfully. Furthermore, baseline and supporting information taken for granted in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia (e.g., seasonal variation in precipitation and river/stream flow, aquifer dynamics, permitted discharge, land-use characteristics) may be unavailable, even while physical access to study sites may be limited by lack of infrastructure, political instability, cultural beliefs, and safety concerns. Should samples be collected, processing may be hindered by a lack of resources (i.e., dry ice, ice, analytical standards), timely sample transport (regulatory permitting), and analytical capacity (unreliable electricity, lack of availability of temperature-controlled rooms and analytical instrumentation).

Beyond the plethora of logistical challenges, the abiotic and biotic realities of these regions present another barrier to scientific progress. Many tropical regions, rich in biodiversity yet vulnerable to pollution, experience annual hydrological cycling more severe than that experienced at temperate latitudes. Furthermore, the biota within these regions are well suited to the existing cycles and bear little resemblance, both in species assemblage and in their contribution to ecosystem dynamics, to that which occurs in more temperate latitudes. The cyprinid and salmonid species, common to the northern latitudes, may scarcely resemble the endemic species found in most of the rest of the world. Equally important, the role those native animals play in their home ecosystems may not be easily characterizable but rather may be finely tuned to regional conditions. Furthermore, critical aspects of their natural history, for example, migrations, may not be accounted for when modeling a potential ecosystem susceptible to chemical contaminants.

Lastly, agricultural, regulatory, economic, and cultural practices vary widely between regions and contribute substantially to local pollution. North American row cropping of corn and soybeans bears little resemblance to rice cultivation, palm groves, or banana plantations. Pesticide regulation, application rates, and application frequency will also differ substantially based on the target pest and the extent (plot size, proximity to population centers) to which the pesticide is applied. Sanitation infrastructure in low- and middle-income regions may lag behind standards expected (albeit not always met) in wealthier regions of the world. Consequently, the composition and concentration of contaminants of emerging concern in aquatic environments may bear little resemblance when compared between high-, middle-, and low-income regions. Considering these differences, it is critical to accept that solutions from a narrow strip of the developed world are insufficient to protect natural resources as well as the health of local communities from anthropomorphic chemicals.

To fill knowledge gaps regarding emerging contaminants within these regions, an important step may be recognizing and supporting the scientific networks and expertise that already exist therein. Support may include transfer of resources, capacity building for local sample analysis, and assistance with the publication process. Scientists, both local and foreign, who have struggled with these challenges for years have developed innovative solutions, work-arounds, and substitutions in their experimental designs that need to be acknowledged as representing acceptable alternatives for standard procedures common in economically advantaged laboratories. Scientific publishers can aid in this process by developing a peer-review process that does not require a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Limitations regarding replicability, sample size, appropriate sample storage and refrigeration, and the treatment of water or sediment samples with internal standards may need to be relaxed to catalyze the scientific process in remote and relatively inaccessible regions of the world. An investigation of contaminants of emerging concern within the Upper Congo River, despite potential methodological shortcomings, may be of similar or greater scientific, political, or economic value than yet another high-quality analysis of samples from the River Thames.

Beyond a tailored peer-review process, the removal of paywalls for publication and for access to toxicological studies by affected populations in low- and middle-income countries would support increased dissemination. Including study summaries in a local language may provide an excellent opportunity for the scientific community to reach out and (re-)establish public trust in the scientific endeavor. Lastly, broadening training on some of the tools available for risk assessment, such as the ECOTOX Knowledgebase (US Environmental Protection Agency 2018), will complement the field and bench data and help support management and policy decisions.

The chemical burden that humans have exerted on the biosphere has been changing ecosystem function and causing adverse health impacts on local communities. Environmental justice issues associated with the placement of toxic industries and the use of noxious chemicals, combined with the disproportionate impact of climate change on low- and middle-income countries and indigenous peoples, underscore that chemical contamination is a worldwide issue. Support of research needs and dissemination within low- and middle-income countries is essential to protect human and environmental health at a global scale.

经同行评议的毒理学文献中涉及泰晤士河（英国）的研究数量是刚果河（中非）的两倍，尽管后者的分水岭大约大 250 倍，人口也多 5 倍（Web科学数据库）。保护这些研究不足的自然资源免受化学污染，需要进行当地研究以填补知识空白，关注区域专业知识，并将当地社区纳入决策过程。区域合作网络的支持可能是其中最重要的，因为它们将对新兴的生态毒理学问题做出最迅速的反应。

世界上研究较少的地区历史上缺乏生态毒理学数据是因为至今仍存在限制。在世界上资源较少的地区，后勤挑战往往更加艰巨和根本，甚至是成功完成最基本的实验的进入障碍。此外，可能无法获得在欧洲、北美和亚洲部分地区被视为理所当然的基线和支持信息（例如，降水和河流/溪流流量的季节性变化、含水层动态、允许排放、土地利用特征），即使在物理由于缺乏基础设施、政治不稳定、文化信仰和安全问题，进入研究地点可能会受到限制。如果采集样本，处理可能会因缺乏资源而受阻（即

除了过多的后勤挑战之外，这些地区的非生物和生物现实是科学进步的另一个障碍。许多生物多样性丰富但易受污染的热带地区，每年的水文循环比温带地区更严重。此外，这些地区的生物群非常适合现有的循环，并且在物种组合和它们对生态系统动力学的贡献方面与温带纬度地区的生物群几乎没有相似之处。北纬地区常见的鲤科和鲑科鱼类可能与世界其他大部分地区的特有物种几乎没有相似之处。同样重要的是，这些本地动物在其家庭生态系统中所扮演的角色可能不容易表征，但可能会根据区域条件进行微调。此外，在对易受化学污染物影响的潜在生态系统进行建模时，可能无法考虑其自然历史的关键方面，例如迁移。

最后，不同地区的农业、监管、经济和文化实践差异很大，对当地污染有很大影响。北美玉米和大豆的行作与水稻种植、棕榈林或香蕉种植园几乎没有相似之处。农药法规、施用率和施用频率也会因目标害虫和施用农药的程度（地块大小、靠近人口中心）而有很大差异。低收入和中等收入地区的卫生基础设施可能落后于世界较富裕地区的预期标准（尽管并不总是达到）。因此，与高收入、中等收入和低收入地区相比，水生环境中新出现的污染物的组成和浓度可能几乎没有相似之处。

为了填补这些地区新兴污染物的知识空白，一个重要的步骤可能是承认和支持已经存在的科学网络和专业知识。支持可能包括资源转移、本地样本分析能力建设以及出版过程的协助。多年来一直在与这些挑战作斗争的本地和外国科学家已经在他们的实验设计中开发了创新的解决方案、变通方法和替代方案，这些解决方案需要被认可为代表经济优势实验室常见的标准程序的可接受替代方案。科学出版商可以通过开发不需要“一刀切”方法的同行评审过程来帮助这一过程。关于可复制性、样本量的限制，可能需要放宽适当的样品储存和冷藏，以及使用内部标准对水或沉积物样品的处理，以促进世界偏远和相对难以进入的地区的科学进程。尽管存在潜在的方法学缺陷，但对刚果河上游新出现的污染物的调查可能具有与泰晤士河样本的另一项高质量分析相似或更大的科学、政治或经济价值。

除了量身定制的同行评审过程之外，取消对中低收入国家受影响人群发表和获取毒理学研究的付费墙将支持增加传播。包括以当地语言编写的研究摘要可能为科学界提供一个极好的机会来接触和（重新）建立公众对科学事业的信任。最后，扩大对一些可用于风险评估的工具的培训，例如 ECOTOX 知识库（美国环境保护署2018 年），将补充现场和基准数据，并帮助支持管理和政策决策。

人类对生物圈造成的化学负担一直在改变生态系统功能，并对当地社区造成不利的健康影响。与有毒工业的布局和有毒化学品的使用相关的环境正义问题，加上气候变化对中低收入国家和土著人民的不成比例的影响，强调化学污染是一个世界性问题。支持中低收入国家的研究需求和传播对于在全球范围内保护人类和环境健康至关重要。