September 2009
NEW EPA CHEMICAL DATABASE - AGGREGATED COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGY RESOURCE (ACTOR)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has made it easier for toxicologists, risk assessors, health and safety specialists, chemists, environmental specialists, statisticians, laboratories, and environmental project managers to search and compile data in order to obtain information related to chemical parameters. Historically, these professionals have had to search a variety of sources such as the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); EPA’s Health Effects Assessment Summary Tables (HEAST), Drinking Water and Health Advisories, and Hazardous Air Pollutants; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); and/or the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) in order to find a chemical’s most recent toxicological studies and science.
Now, however, individuals can search for this information using one source. The USEPA National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) has compiled information from over 200 sources (some listed above) and combined the results into one website-accessible database called the “Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource,” or ACToR.
Since ACToR’s original December 2008 release, NCCT has added over 1.5 million substances and over 950,000 chemicals to the database. Individuals can search the website by chemical name, CAS Registry Number (CASRN), and chemical structure. For example, one can enter the chemical structure of benzene or toluene, and the database provides the user with a list of details related to that chemical, such as hazard carcinogenity, genotoxicity, developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, chronic toxicity, repeat dose toxicity, dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, metabolic toxicity, and food safety.
The database also provides more than just toxicity data. Users can also access a great deal of other data such as chemical synonyms, formulas, CAS numbers, molecular weight, physico-chemical characteristics, biochemical assays, chemical summary reports, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and manufacturing information.
The database is not limited to scientific research coming from the United States. Canadian and European studies are also included in the compiled data. The compilation of this information into one centralized hub will help scientists focus their toxicity research and reduce study duplications.
The newest update to the database is expected to be released in the next few months.
For more information about ACToR, visit http://actor.epa.gov or contact Christina on the Trihydro’s Technical Services Team at chiegel@trihydro.com. Our team includes statisticians, chemists, modelers, and risk assessors who can assist in your understanding of chemical data.
