Health and Environmental Effects

Whereas major difficulties can be encountered in obtaining information pertaining to the determination of exposure to a chemical substance, data on health and environmental effects are better organized and more accessible. A researcher can be reasonably confident of covering a major portion of the available health and environmental effects information on a chemical by searching the various 

The reader is cautioned, however, that there is very often a lag of six months from the time an article appears in a journal to the time the abstract or citation is recorded in one of these biological on-line data bases. With the proliferation of studies on toxicological and environmental effects of chemical substances, one should manually search the major scientific journals to ensure full coverage of the literature. 

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D. Layton and co-workers. Conventional Weapons Demilitarisation, A Health and Environmental Effects Data Base Assessment Explosives and Their Co-Contaminants, UERL-21109, Livermore National Lab., University of California, Livermore, Dec 1987. 

Health and Environmental Effects Profile forlSHtromethane U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1985. 

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) airborne chemicals that cause serious health and environmental effects. 

Mid-Continent Ecology Division Laboratory National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory... 

The ECOTOXicology database is a source for locating single chemical toxicity data for aquatic life, terrestrial plants and wildlife. ECOTOX integrates three toxicology effects databases AQUIRE (aquatic life), PHYTOTOX (terrestrial plants), and TERRETOX (terrestrial wildlife). These databases were created by the U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD), and the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laborator) (NHEERL), Mid-Continent Ecology Division... 

Triage is a searchable database of scientific studies on the health and environmental effects of toxic chemicals related to Section 8(e) of TSCA. 

HPVIS provides complete and easy access to technical health and environmental effect information on chemicals that are manufactured or imported to US in volumes greater than IMM lbs per year. Information in this database are submitted through HPV Challenge Program. HPVIS allows users to search for summary information, test plans, and new data on high production volume chemicals as they are developed. 

It is worthwhile searching the Internet for information on processes, equipment, products and physical properties. Many manufacturers and government departments maintain web sites. In particular, up-to-date information can be obtained on the health and environmental effects of products. 

FIFRA23 imposes a system of pesticide product registrations. Such requirements include premarket review of potential health and environmental effects before a pesticide can be introduced in the United States, reregistration of products introduced prior to the enactment of FIFRA to assess their safety in light of current standards, and classification of pesticides for restricted or general use. Restricted products can be used only by those whose competence has been certified by a state program. 

An exposure and risk assessment will usually integrate a number of different inputs, including health and environmental effects evaluations as well as pollutant profiles for environmental releases, ambient monitoring data, and environmental fate... 

EPA (1984) Health and environmental effects profile for brominated diphenyl ethers. Environ criteria and assessment office, Cincinnati. US Environmental Protection Agency, (see also... 

EPA. 1985a. Health and environmental effects profile for acrylonitrile. Cincinnati, OH U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development. EPA/600/X-85/372. NTIS No. PB88-170832. 

Choudhury, H., J. Coleman, C.T. De Rosa, and J.F. Stara. 1986. Pentachlorophenol health and environmental effects profile. Toxicol. Ind. Health 2 483-571. 

Kavlock, R.J., et al., Research needs for the risk assessment of health and environmental effects of endocrine disrupters a report of the U.S. EPA-sponsored workshop, Environ. Health Perspect., 104, 715, 1996. 

Disclaimer This chapter has been reviewed by the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. 

ASTER. 1995. ASTER Ecotoxicity Profile -Hexane. Duluth, MN US. EPA Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Mid-Continent Ecology Division. 

Assessments of these new chemicals are made by teams of multidisciplined scientists, and are based on limited firm data, comparisons to similar chemicals and estimations of exposure to humans and the environment. Generally, these PMNs contain some information on acute health effects but relatively scant information on chronic health and environmental effects. 

Testing and Other Risk Data.(17) TSCA 5(d)(1)(B) (C) required each PMN to contain any (i.e. all) health and environmental effects data that the notice submitter has in his "possession or control," as well as a "description" of other data that are "known to or reasonably ascertainable" by him. Thus, a company must provide EPA all test data that it has developed or otherwise obtained concerning its new chemical, and must inform the Agency concerning any other similar data of which it is aware. However, TSCA does not require companies to perform tests or otherwise develop specific data, as a prerequisite to the submission of PMN s. (J 8 )... 

To date, EPA has done three things to encourage and, in some limited cases, require companies to test their new substances.(19) First, from time to time EPA has issued reports, published speeches, prepared Congressional testimony, and otherwise publicized its view that many PMN s lack necessary data to adequately assess the subject chemicals health and environmental effects. Second, on a PMN-by-PMN basis EPA has negotiated with individual companies to provide additional data and analyses. And third, EPA has initiated actions under 5(e) to require additional testing for a very small number of new substances (and to limit or totally prohibit production and use of these chemicals).(20)... 

Under 5(e), following receipt and review of a PMN EPA may order a company to develop test data "sufficient to evaluate the health and environmental effects" of the new substance. However, if the PMN submitter objects to the order (and provides sufficient grounds for that objection), the order does not take effect and EPA must obtain an injunction from a U.S. district court to impose the data requirements (and any appropriate production or use restrictions). 

Upon receipt of a PMN, EPA has little direct recourse for requiring a company to develop and otherwise provide more production and use information. Section 5(e) is EPA s major legal authority for obtaining additional information, and that section focuses upon health and environmental effects data, rather than exposure information. 

Most of the commodity organic chemicals have rather complete data bases, although knowledge of certain effects may be missing. For the small-volume organic chemicals, health and environmental data bases are sometimes non-existent or limited to a knowledge of a few physical properties that may impact health and environmental effects. 

Now, what can EPA or anyone else do about this elusive but real problem A start has already been made via a data quality workshop which was initiated by the CMA (Chemical Manufacturers Association) and co-sponsored by EPA, NBS (National Bureau of Standards) and NAS (National Academy of Sciences). This resulted in a group of about 40 experienced participants from government, industry and academia reviewing criteria for data quality in four areas of information relating to properties, health and environmental effects. From this beginning, we eventually hope to see the contents of data-bases or data files identified as to the level of reliability of extracted information. The user will then at least have the ability to judge the value of the information he received. 

EPA. 1990. Health and environmental effects document for disulfoton. (Final draft). Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, OH. 

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