Research & Development

• Models
• Methods
• Databases

EPA develops and maintains databases to assist scientists, risk assessors and resource managers. A selected list of databases is provided.

Databases, Software, and Tools:

• IRIS Risk Assessment Tool - The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is a human health assessment program that evaluates quantitative and qualitative risk information on effects that may result from exposure to environmental contaminants.
  
  
• Alphabetical List of Agency Databases and Software - an Agency list of databases and software.
  
  
• ECOTOXicology (ECOTOX) - ECOTOXicology database provides single chemical toxicity information for aquatic and terrestrial life.
  
  
• Exposure Research Databases - Several databases have been developed as a result of EPA's exposure research including Human Exposure Database System (HEDS) and Consolidated Human Activities Database (CHAD). This page contains links to these and other databases.
  
  
• Exposure Research Tools - Software and other tools have been developed as a result of EPA's exposure research to aid in the assessment of risk to humans and ecosystems such as the ProUCL software for Calculating Upper Confidence Limits (UCLs) in Superfund risk assessments. This page contains links to this and other tools.
  
  
• Environmental Assessment Databases and Data Sets - This page includes databases and data sets available on the web, organized alphabetically by title.
  
  
• Health and Environmental Effects Research Database Resources - This page includes a link for the EMAP project that was developed to monitor and assess the status and trends of national ecological resources plus other database resources.
  
  
• Health and Environmental Research On-line (HERO) - HERO contains the key studies EPA uses to develop environmental risk assessments for the public. EPA uses risk assessments to characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans and the ecosystem from pollutants and chemicals in the environment.
  
  
• Inventory of Ecological Restoration Projects Within the Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) Region - Inventory of Ecological Restoration Projects Within the Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) Region This inventory is a central repository of restoration project information specific to the mid-Atlantic region. The inventory includes individual restoration projects conducted in both aquatic and terrestrial environments by federal, state, and local government entities, and nongovernment organizations. Each project listing consists of a description of the restoration site, the problem being addressed, the goals of the project, critical ecosystem and environmental factors, technical approaches, costs, monitoring activities, and a contact for more detailed information. The database is intended for researchers, restoration practitioners, environmental resource managers, policy makers, consultants, and communities within the mid-Atlantic area.
  
  
• Treatability Database - This database stores information about the effectiveness of nearly 30 treatment technologies for removing up to 250 regulated and emerging drinking water contaminants. It is a single source of information for water utility operators who are looking for the best, most cost-effective tools to ensure regulatory compliance. The database will be released to the public by mid-2007.
  
  

• ACToR (Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource) - One of many EPA tools available for those interested in chemical toxicity to find data about potential chemical risks to human health and the environment. The data warehouse is a collection of databases collated or developed by the US EPA National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT). It aggregates data from over 500 public sources on over 500,000 environmental chemicals searchable by chemical name, other identifiers, and by chemical structure.

• ToxRefDB (Toxicity Reference Database) - Captures thousands of in vivo animal toxicity studies on hundreds of chemicals. The database stores detailed study design, dosing, and observed treatment-related effects using standardized vocabulary and provides detailed chemical toxicity data, for the first time, in a publically accessible and searchable format.