ATSDR to Develop a New Set of Toxicological Profiles

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry seeks public nominations of substances to evaluate for the development of a new set of toxicological profiles. The agency will consider nominations from its Substance Priority List, which comprises chemicals that are candidates to become the subject of toxicological profiles prepared by ATSDR. The list includes substances that are most commonly found at facilities on EPA’s National Priorities List of sites that have had known or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. ATSDR’s Substance Priority List prioritizes substances that ATSDR and EPA have determined to pose the “most significant potential threat to human health due to their known or suspected toxicity and potential for human exposure” at these sites. The list is revised and published every two years. Substances at the top of ATSDR’S 2017 list include arsenic, lead, mercury, vinyl chloride, and polychlorinated biphenyls.

ATSDR will evaluate the data and information associated with the nominated substances and will determine the final list of substances for toxicological profile development. The agency will accept nominations of substances that are not on the Substance Priority List if the nominator provides the rationale for the nomination.

Nominations are due by May 20, 2019. For more information about submitting nominations, see the Federal Register notice.

ATSDR toxicological profiles characterize the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for hazardous substances. Each peer-reviewed profile identifies and reviews the key literature that describes a substance's toxicological properties. Health and toxicologic information on the potential for human exposure; chemical and physical properties; regulations and guidelines; and production, import, use, and disposal can also be found in ATSDR’s toxicological profiles. A full list of toxic substances with published profiles is available on the agency’s website.