An overview of the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS): Critical information on chemical hazards

✍ Scribed by Doris V. Sweet; Vernon P. Anderson; J.C.F. Fang

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 593 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1074-9098
• DOI: 10.1016/s1074-9098(99)00058-1

✦ Synopsis

Since 1971, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been building RTECS into a definitive toxicological database with supplemental information pertinent to both the chemical industry and the occupational safety and health community. RTECS provides the technical data needed to assess workers' exposures to chemicals, particularly to lesser-known-and-used chemical substances. OSHA has designated RTECS as a primary source for toxicity data for Material Safety Data Sheets in its Hazard Communications Rule. In recent years, RTECS has grown to include more than 145,000 chemical substances, 337,000 synonymous names, and 287,000 individual toxicity citations. The toxicological data are organized into six fields: primary irritation, mutagenic effects, reproductive effects, tumorigenic effects, acute toxicity, and other multiple dose toxicity. Each data line includes the citation to its bibliographic source.