TOXMAP--updated data; FAQ, more

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What is TOXMAP?

_http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp)

 

TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov) is a _Geographic Information System

(GIS)_ (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#16) from the _Division of

Specialized Information Services _ (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/)

(http://sis.nlm.nih.gov) of the U.S. _National Library of Medicine (NLM)_

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/) (http://www.nlm.nih.gov) that uses maps of the

United States to help

users visually explore data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA)'s _Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#63) and _Superfund Program_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#64) .

For more information, see the NLM _TOXMAP Fact Sheet_

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxmap.html) .

_http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxmap.html_

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxmap.html)

 

 

New health data, roads in TOXMAP

_http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/home/news.jsp#134_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/home/news.jsp#134)

TOXMAP now contains updated cancer and other mortality data. TOXMAP also now

shows more detailed roads at a variety of map scales. (Roads and other

reference data can be hidden from maps via the " Other Data " subtab.)

 

Other recent changes include:

 

* Facility details include latitude/longitude and links to Google Maps

* Redesigned Search and Set Region pages

* Added " go to " page number for search results

* Added aggregate release data values in downloadable TRI facility data

* Added HTML Site Map

* Added Income 2003 demographic layer

* Added ability to link directly to site details (all map types) TOXMAP is a

Geographic Information System (GIS) from the

Division of Specialized Information Services (

_http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/_ (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/) )

of the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) (_http://www.nlm.nih.gov/_

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/) ) )

that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from

the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Toxics Release Inventory and

Superfund Program.

 

 

Does TOXMAP show all sources of toxic chemicals released into or present

in the environment?

_http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#127_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#127)

 

Certain industries in the United States which manufacture, process, use, or

transport significant amounts of specific toxic chemicals (approximately 650

chemicals and chemical categories covering about 23,000 industrial and

federal facilities) are required by law to report annually on the releases of

these

chemicals to the EPA (through its _Toxics Release Inventory Program/TRI_

(http://www.epa.gov/tri/) ). TOXMAP maps these _chemicals_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/chemicals.jsp) .

 

It should be noted that although facilities are required by federal law to

use the best available data for their reporting, the accuracy of the reported

data is unknown since it can be based on both actual measurements and on

estimates. However, the Toxics Release Inventory is the best public information

available on these chemicals.

 

The EPA _Superfund _ (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm) Program is

part of a federal government effort to decontaminate any land in the United

States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and that has been

identified

by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human

health and/or the environment. The program designates more than 800 substances

as

hazardous, and many more as potentially hazardous to human health or to the

environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or

otherwise managed. TOXMAP also maps _Superfund chemicals _

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/sfChemicals.jsp) and sites.

 

The toxic chemicals reported in this way make up only a small portion of the

total amount manufactured, handled and used in the United States.

 

Industries are not the only entities responsible for toxic chemicals. Since

the current reporting requirements apply only to industrial sources, sources

of toxic chemicals from transportation, farming and households are not

included. In addition, thousands of new chemicals are studied each year and

thousands are manufactured. This number far exceeds the ability to test them

all

regarding possible toxic effects on people, plants or animals.

 

NOTE: At this time, TOXMAP uses reported on-site releases only. Some TRI

chemicals have no reported releases, and so will not appear in the TRI release

data or in TOXMAP.

 

FAQ _http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#127_

(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp#127)

 

 

 

 

 

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