Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches

Introduction All too often we see news stories of chemical industry practices that have had negative effects on health or the environment or hear reports of serious accidents or spills involving chemicals. An item in Chemical & Engineering News (December 8, 1997, p. 17) reported on "Hanford tanks leaking to groundwater." Groundwater was being contaminated with liquid wastes that had leaked from the tanks at the former nuclear weapons plant in Richland, Washington. The public perception of chemistry is tarnished by such stories, so chemists have a responsibility to use the safest possible practices in handling chemical substances and disposing of them. The American Chemical Society's 1994 document "The Chemist's Code of Conduct" contains these statements: Chemists should actively be concerned with the health and welfare of co-workers, consumers, and the community. Chemists should understand and anticipate the environmental consequences of their work. Chemists have responsibility to avoid pollution and to protect the environment. In this section, we will encounter printed and computer-based sources to help keep abreast of the hazards associated with chemical substances and to become aware of the rules and regulations that govern the use of chemicals. A large number of acronyms are found in the health and safety area, for example, TLV (Threshold Limit Value). There are also quite a few numbers, in addition to Chemical Abstracts Registry Numbers, that are used to identify chemical substances that have been studied for their environmental or health and safety impact. A single chemical substance may have a DOT (Department of Transportation) number, an RTECS number (from the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances), and several others assigned by various US, European, International, or other agencies. Furthermore, new types of chemical data, not likely to have been seen before, will be encountered for chemical substances in the reference tools or databases discussed in this section. These include things such as the octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow), soil organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc), measures of nitrification inhibition, acute toxicity data, and others. General Safety or Toxicology Information Sources A good printed subject guide to environmentally-related topics is the Encyclopedia of Environmental Information Sources (1993). For over 800 subject areas, ranging from hazardous materials to alternative energy, the encyclopedia lists the major sources of information. Identified are specialized abstracting and indexing services, bibliographies, directories, encyclopedias and dictionaries, handbooks and manuals, online databases, and relevant organizations. Mirroring the scope and depth of coverage found in the comprehensive treatises published by Pergamon in inorganic, organic, organometallic and other areas of chemistry is the 13-volume Comprehensive Toxicology, that appeared in 1997. The work covers toxicology from the molecular to the organismal level, including a review of the general principles of toxicology, test procedures and data evaluation, and biotransformation of chemicals. The bulk of the volumes, however, are devoted to the specific organ systems of toxicology. Volume 12 treats current concepts of carcinogenesis. Works encountered in other contexts, such as the Merck Index or the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology include quite a bit of information on the hazardous or safety aspects of the chemicals discussed. However, there are a large number of specialized reference tools whose primary aim is to make the retrieval of such information very easy. Some of those are introduced below.

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches Hazardous Aspects or Toxicology of Chemicals Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials (3 v., 10th ed., 1999) covers over 23,500 toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, highly flammable, or potentially explosive substances. Included are health-related and physical property data. There are many pages of synonyms in several languages to assist in using the work. It includes A CAS Registry Number index. A CD-ROM version is also available. Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards (5th ed., 1995) covers some 5,000 elements and compounds. Now published in two volumes, Bretherick's first volume is devoted to specific information on the stability of the compounds or the reactivity of mixtures of two or more of them under various conditions. In volume 2 are found groups of chemical substances arranged on the basis of similarities in structure or reactivity. Stability data on single specific compounds, data on possible violent interaction between two or more compounds, general data on a class or group of compounds (or information on the identity of individual compounds in a known hazardous group), structures associated with explosive instability, and fire-related data are all included in the work. Information on how to use the handbook includes the important caveat "Do not assume that lack of information means that no hazard exists." Over 2,000 pages of information make this the work to consult first for hazardous reaction information. Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Patty's Toxicology, now in the 5th edition, collectively cover General Principles, Toxicology, and Theory and Rationale. The focus of the work in recent editions has been extended beyond the industrial workplace to environmental safety and hazard control. It is now also available online [1]. The Dictionary of Substances and their Effects (DOSE) covers over 4,100 chemicals that have been studied for environmental impact or toxicity. The second edition of the print product appeared in 7 volumes in 1999. All purchasers of the print edition of DOSE receive free site-wide access to a fully searchable Web database. DOSE includes results of recent carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and environmental fate studies, as well as the latest regulatory requirements. Material Safety Data Sheets and Other Factual Sources MSDSs or Material Safety Data Sheets are available from the manuafacturer of chemical substances. It is to the manufacturer's advantage to insure that all known hazardous aspects and recommended precautions are clearly laid out to the user of their products, and that is the primary purpose of the MSDS. A very useful guide to MSDSs on the Internet [2] includes sample MSDSs and sources of MSDSs, both on the Internet and elsewhere. In 1983, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the Hazard Communication Standard, requiring chemical manufacturers and distributors to provide MSDSs to their customers beginning in late 1985. Since 1993, chemical manufacturers in the US have followed a voluntary MSDS format that is endorsed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The most important information appears at the top, followed by the chemical name, manufacturer, and composition. The third section identifies known hazards associated with the substance. First-aid measures are next, followed by fire-fighting measures. The most critical parts of an MSDS are the human health hazards and acceptable exposure limits. However, data on human testing is rare, so MSDSs generally rely on animal test data. The foreign equivalents of the US MSDSs are much shorter. Those are called "International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs) and are published by the World Health Organization and the European Union. Such documents as MSDSs and ICSCs are really geared toward the larger quantities of chemicals used in industry. For academic institutions, although MSDSs are still required on site, a book such as the US National Research Council's Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals contains much practical information. The book includes Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs) that provide the same type of information as do MSDSs, but are geared for the laboratory user. Also found in the work are guidance on risk assessment and tips on how to work with laboratory equipment. The Environmental Science Center of Syracuse Research Corporation makes available a searchable Physical Properties Database [3] (PHYSPROP) that covers over 25,000 substances. An example of the output is below:

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches

Experimental LogP Results for Isatin in the PHYSPROP Database The National Library of Medicine's System NLM's TOXNET [4] (Toxicology Data Network) is a free service with access to many toxicology databases that formerly cost money to search. Included are: Toxicology Data Search for factual information in the databases HSDB (see below), Gene-Tox, CCRIS (carcinogenesis), and IRIS (EPA's risk assessment database) Toxicology Literature Search for bibliographic records from TOXLINE and the genotoxic/reproductive database DART/ETIC TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Search, reporting EPA's annual estimate of releases of toxic substances into the environment Chemical Information Search for identification of substances by name, structure, etc. (ChemIDplus contains >367,000 records and >182,000 structures;, HSDB: >4,500 records; and NCI-3D: >213,000 substances). The Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB [5]) contains over 4,500 chemical records, each of which can have as many as 150 or so fields of data, covering human health effects, emergency medical treatment, animal toxicity studies, metabolism/pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, environmental fate and exposure, environmental standards and regulations, chemical/physical properties, chemical safety and handling, occupational exposure standards and more. HSDB is peer-reviewed by a committee of experts, the Scientific Review Panel (SRP). The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS's Databases) [6] Among the numerous reasonably priced databases offered by CCOHS is RTECS, the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. RTECS was originally produced by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), but has now been outsourced to Elsevier. RTECS provides toxicological information with citations on over 140,000 chemical substances. Included are toxicological data and reviews, international workplace exposure limits, references to US standards and regulations, analytical methods, and exposure and hazard survey data. RTECS contains: > 400,000 chemical names and synonyms > 130,000 unique CAS numbers toxicity data such as LD50 or LC50 (lethal dosages/concentrations) values tumorigenic and reproductive effects carcinogenicity status.

CCOHS also maintains an extensive Material Safety Data Sheet collection and other databases covering aspects of occupational safety and health that range to ergonomics/workplace design and psychological aspects of a safe workplace environment. CCOHS offers a free web search across all of their databases through the Web Information Service [7], but only subscribers can see some of the records. CAS Databases Incorporated into the results of substance searches on SciFinder is a link to Chemical Abstracts Service's CHEMLIST database, a source of regulatory information for over 237,000 chemical substances covering 1979 to the present. CHEMLIST was originally built from data in the 1985 US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory and supplements, and updates from the U.S. Government's Federal Register. Now more than 100 additional collections of data are included, such as web sites, official government lists, gazettes, newsletters, bulletins, and electronic data feeds. The records contain substance identity information, inventory status, source of information, and summaries of regulatory activity, reports, and other compliance information.

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches CAS has also created a multidatabase product called TOXCENTER [8] (Toxicology Center). It is a bibliographic database that covers the pharmacological, biochemical, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals. TOXCENTER is composed of the data from 18 other STN files, including: BIOSIS (Biological Abstracts): 1946 to the present CAplus (Chemical Abstracts): 1907 to the present IPA (International Pharmaceutical Abstracts): 1970 to the present MEDLINE: 1949 to the present.

The records in the file contain bibliographic data, abstracts, indexing terms, chemical names, and CAS Registry Numbers. Elsevier Databases Elsevier incorporates in the Beilstein database an index for pharmacological data that includes much relevant information. For "Isatin" (BRN 383659) there are 47 entries (October 2006) for its bioactivity, among which are information on MAO-inhibiting activity, acute toxicity, and other biological activity of the substance. Bear in mind that Beilstein should not be considered a comprehensive source of such data, since such information began to be added to the Beilstein database only in the 1980s. For the time from 1980 - 1990 the information is unstructured, and only a note field and a reference are given. From 1990 onwards the information is organized into the hierarchical system, making it possible to search for specific effects, data etc. The EcoPharm module was originally an add-on to CrossFire, but now it has been integrated into the database. EcoPharm's pharmacological and toxicological data focus on: human and mammalian toxicology, drug treatment, pharmaceutical and biological chemistry ecological data concerned with effects of chemicals on various ecosystems, their environmental fate and potential for accumulation as well as health threat in the environment. The field PED is a group code for Field Availability searches in the hierarchical system of the Beilstein database concerned with pharmacology, ecological chemistry and use. The datastructure contains fields for the biological activity that has been investigated (field pharm.e), including what has been measured, like LD50, IC50 etc. (field pharm.ty) on which test system, etc. Additionally a field with a detailed description on how the examination has been done is present. This structure is available for pharmacological effects and ecotoxicological effects of substances. Next to Beilstein, Elsevier offers several specialized databases, some of which may be included in the coverage of Reaxys [9]: Patent Chemistry Database] xPharm] PharmaPendium] (new release 2006). Environmental Chemistry Information System One of the first integrated, structure-searchable systems, this database system had its roots in the old Chemical Information System, a joint project of the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. The current database was most recently offered as a for-fee product, available from NISC, the National Information Services Corporation. it included databases in the following areas: Chemical/Physical properties Biodegradation/Bioremediation Site Assessment Toxicity & Carcinogenicity

Regulations HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials)

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches Hazardous materials are classified as toxic, corrosive, ignitable, or reactive. They can be liquid, solid, or gas. NISC has now been acquired by EBSCO [10]. US Environmental Protection Agency and Other US Government Sources The EPA maintains a Substance Registry System to assist in locating chemical and biological substances whose properties make them of concern to the EPA. Chemicals are identified by a Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CASRN) or if not available, an EPA Chemical Identifier (EPA ID), a systematic name (generally the CAS 9th Collective Index Name), a molecular formula, a molecular weight, former CASRN references, synonyms, and information about regulations, EPA data systems, and other sources that list the chemical. Other resources at EPA include: Envirofacts [11] - A national information system that provides a single point of access to data extracted from seven major EPA databases. Terminology Services [12] - This contains collections of environmental terms and definitions from a variety of sources, and can be searched by keyword, information resource, and organization. The gateway to most US federal government sources now is USA.Gov [13]. "Environment, Energy, and Agriculture" is one of the main categories that citizens can choose at this site. Other Sources The Royal Society of Chemistry has produced since 1981 a bibliographic database called the Chemical Safety NewsBase (CSNB). It covers health and safety hazards of chemicals in relevant industries. There are many other sources in which to find chemical safety, toxicological, or environmental information. Examples are specialized abstracting services such as Water Resources Abstracts, publications from organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association or the American Chemical Society, and the many sources available from governmental agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control or the Environmental Protection Agency, not to mention a wealth of publications in these areas by commercial publishers, such as Lewis' Dictionary of Toxicology. Summary The safe manufacture and use of chemical substances (including drugs) is of paramount importance. Much of the relevant information in the area of chemical health and safety and environmental impact of chemicals is found in mission-oriented abstracting and indexing services. There are specialized databases that deal with physical properties of environmental interest, such as PHYSPROP or health impacts of chemicals, including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, etc. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are another important source of relevant data. Both government agencies and commercial publishers produce many good reference sources in this area. CIIM Link for further study SIRCh Link for Chemical Safety Searches Problem Set on this topic [14]

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches

References
[1] http:/ / www3. interscience. wiley. com/ cgi-bin/ mrwhome/ 104554794/ HOME [2] http:/ / www. ilpi. com/ msds/ index. html [3] http:/ / www. syrres. com/ what-we-do/ databaseforms. aspx?id=386 [4] http:/ / toxnet. nlm. nih. gov/ [5] http:/ / toxnet. nlm. nih. gov/ cgi-bin/ sis/ htmlgen?HSDB [6] http:/ / www. ccohs. ca/ products/ subject. html [7] http:/ / ccinfoweb. ccohs. ca/ default. html [8] http:/ / info. cas. org/ ASSETS/ 13EB9F6593E047408BB95305C6264F2F/ toxcenter. pdf [9] http:/ / www. reaxys. com [10] http:/ / www. nisc. com/ ebsco_nisc. htm [11] http:/ / www. epa. gov/ enviro/ [12] http:/ / www. epa. gov/ trs/ [13] http:/ / www. usa. gov/ [14] http:/ / www. indiana. edu/ ~cheminfo/ C471/ 471ps8. html

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Chemical Information Sources/Chemical Safety Searches Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=2012780 Contributors: Adrignola, Gary Dorman Wiggins

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/