The U.S. National Library of Medicine's Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program.

Abstract

For nearly 40 years, the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP) has been a significant leader in organizing and providing public access to an extensive storehouse of toxicological information through its online databases. With the advent of the Internet, TEHIP has expanded its role to also serve as a pre-eminent portal to toxicological information worldwide. Its primary databases reside within the web-based TOXNET system, and include the scientifically peer-reviewed Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and Toxics Release Inventory, the National Cancer Institute's Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System (CCRIS) and the TOXLINE file of over 3 million bibliographic references. TEHIP's ChemIDplus is an extensive chemical dictionary that extends beyond simple nomenclature to offer displays of molecular structures and links from particular chemicals to other databases containing more information. Specialty files in occupational safety and health, and household products have recently been added to TEHIP's suite of resources. Additional databases in risk assessment, drugs, toxicology education, and global resources, are under development. "Special Topics" pages lead users to structured summaries and links in areas such as arsenic, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare, and West Nile Virus. A database on alternatives to the use of live animals, a three-module toxicology tutor, and a glossary of terms in toxicology are among TEHIP's other information aids, as well an increasing commitment to serving consumers, as witnessed by the animated ToxTown program. Outside the sphere of TEHIP, NLM offers additional databases, such as PubMed, of significant value to toxicology researchers.