This paper addresses some of the issues and concerns on research advances on the toxicology of chemical mixtures. The fact that any studies, including mechanistic studies, of single chemicals are really the study of the parent chemical plus its metabolites underscores the relevance of mechanistic studies on chemical mixtures.
Some successes are already evident in the literature on simpler chemical mixtures.
For more complex mixtures, it is possible and we propose an approach here. Two aspects, the knowledge and methodologies available in clinical pharmacology and the latest advances in structure-oriented lumping in chemical engineering, are discussed in detail. Two laws with chemical mixtures specifically in the language are quoted and discussed. Their implications regarding research funding and activities are described. The dilemma at least one investigator faces in pursuing research funding is elaborated.