J itvll i-
• • > .1, .f,
•'•• P--jte: I
Council on
En^ ronmenTal
November 1980
CEQ
First Report of the
Interagency Toxic
Substances Data
Committee
MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS:
(*Lead Organizations)
Arms Control & Disarmament Agency
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Council on Environmental Quality*
Department of Commerce
Department of Energy
Department of Health & Human Services
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency*
Fish & Wildlife Service
Food & Drug Administration
International Trade Commission
National Cancer Institute
National Center for Health Statistics
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
National Institute of Health
National Institute for Occupational
Safety & Health
National Library of Medicine
Naval Medical Research &
Development Command
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Occupational Safety & Health Commission
Office of Science & Technology Policy
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FIRST REPORT
OF THE
INTERAGENCY TOXIC SUBSTANCES
DATA COMMITTEE
November 1980
-------
INTERAGENCY TOXIC SUBSTANCES DATA COMMITTEE
Council on Environmental Quality
722 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Toxic Substances
Washington, D.C. 20460
This is the first report of the Interagency Toxic Sub-
stances Data Committee (ITSDC). Under sections 10 and 25 of
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, the ITSDC
is responsible for federal chemical information system de-
velopment and coordination. The goal of the committee is
systematized retrieval of toxicological and other scientific
data which should be useful to those with responsibilities
in the areas of research, risk analysis, and decisionmaking.
This capability is expected to contribute to a better under-
standing of potential chemical hazards and ultimately to
prevention of adverse chemical effects on human health and
the environment. The report summarizes progress since
enactment of TSCA. Although much has been accomplished, the
coming years will be crucial to further development of proj-
ects initiated by the ITSDC.
GUS SPETH
Chairman
Council on Environmental
Quality
DOUGLAS M. COSTLE
Administrator
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
111
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Preface
More than a decade ago, a panel of experts from the
President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC) identified an
urgent need for a coordinated, complete, computer-based file
of toxicological information which would be generally avail-
able to all those needing it in the public and private sectors.
Much of the computerized capability called for by PSAC is now
available at the National Library of Medicine, the Oak Ridge
National Library, and other sites, but the quantity of infor-
mation about toxic and hazardous chemicals and the correspond-
ing need for it have expanded. To organize and understand
the universe of existing chemicals and those not yet devel-
oped, society needs to know not only the toxicological ef-
fects of each agent but also its actual or potential exposure
to humans and the environment. A coherent means is needed
to gather and analyze testing data; chemical, physical, and
biological properties data; monitoring data; and chemical
production and use information.
Today there are over 220 federal systems containing in-
formation relevant to toxic substances. Partly because their
primary purpose is to support the missions of differing
agencies, the systems are dispersed, contain duplicate infor-
mation, and are not coordinated for optimal use. They use
dissimilar equipment and computer languages and programming,
are often difficult to use, and can contain highly specialized
data. Data-sharing problems are compounded because agencies
generally do not know what data have already been collected
by whom.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) recognized the
breadth of the information required for rational decision-
making. In its directives to the Council on Environmental
Quality under section 25(b) and to the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency in section 10(b), TSCA also explicitly recognized
the importance of improving data management and interagency
coordination.
This is the first report of the Interagency Toxic Sub-
stances Data Committee (ITSDC) on its efforts to coordinate
classification, storage, and retrieval of chemical information.
Since its inception in 1978, the ITSDC has focused its efforts
on the construction of a Chemical Substances Information Net-
work (CSIN). The preliminary version of the network, in use
since January 1980, takes advantage of significant advances made
in the information and computer sciences during the 13 years
since the PSAC report, such as development of minicomputers
suitable for simple onsite processing, new methods of storing
vast quantities of information in a small physical space,
growth in the information industry, expanded capabilities and
use of time-shared networked computers, and decreasing costs
-------
per user as the number of users has increased. With such
advances it has become possible to establish an effective
system for retrieval of chemical data through a. coordinated
network of specialized information systems.
The Chemical Substances Information Network is designed
to facilitate efficient and widespread use of many inde-
pendent sources of chemical information. By providing ana-
lytic capabilities and interconnections between various kinds
of data, it streamlines collection and integration of infor-
mation from diverse sources, reducing the time and paperwork
required to reach informed decisions about chemical hazards
and benefits. CSIN will ultimately contribute to better
decisionmaking by all sectors of society as they grapple with
the known and unknown risks of chemicals.
For additional information, readers are encouraged to
contact the Office of Network Administration at the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticides and Toxic
Substances, Office of Toxics Integration (TS-777), 401 M
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
VI
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CONTENTS
Foreword iii
•IT JTG I ClCG — ^—•——«"•••— •••———•••-—•• — _• «.__• ,•.,_••»_.__ __ W« __ • « •_«••.••..•._.»•_» •— — — "^
I. Introduction 1
II. The Interagency Toxic Substances Data Committee- 5
III. The Chemical Substances Information Network 7
IV. CSIN Development: Progress to Date 13
V. The CSIN Directories 25
VI. Other CSIN Components 29
VII. Conclusion 35
Bibliography 37
vi x
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I. INTRODUCTION
Several years ago the following events occurred. A
worker in a small Northeastern chemical plant was asked to
clean a set of gears. He knew that other workers who had
done so had develooed a rash, perhaps caused by breathing
a substance, Compound 1189, as they cleaned. He
refused to perform the task and was subsequently fired.
Under the section of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
dealing with discriminatory firing, the worker sdught re-
course by contacting a compliance officer in the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regional office.
Because the compliance officer's first concern was that
the plant might be unsafe, he invited his office's one indus-
trial hygienist to sit in on a discussion with the worker.
The hygienist's subsequent check of the office library showed
that Compound 1189, a pesticide, had a very low toxicity
rating; in fact, in its application dilution it was one of
the safest pesticides on the market. A call to the state
Department of Industrial Hygiene, where the hygienist had
worked earlier, confirmed his findings. The worker seemed
satisfied when the regional compliance officer told him that
he would try to get his job back for him.
Later, the compliance officer learned through a news-
paper article that the chemical plant had been discharging
into the municipal waste water system, decimating the bac-
teria that are crucial to sewage treatment. The city had
asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for help;
EPA found that the entire river basin was contaminated.
Workers blamed their work environment for tremors, eye
trouble, sterility, and other disorders. Further investi-
gation revealed high pollution levels around the plant.
The state banned commercial fishing and shellfish harvest-
ing in the area and ordered the plant closed. The National
Cancer Institute had just completed a study that identified
the substance feared by the complainant as carcinogenic.
The OSHA compliance officer then learned that Compound
1189 was first registered as a pesticide in 1959, when the
Department of Agriculture was responsible for pesticide
control. Toxicity information included with the registra-
tion showed that Compound 1189 caused "DDT-like tremors."
Other information on file at EPA, which has been responsible
for the pesticide program since 1971, showed that Compound
1189 disrupts growth and reproductive functions and induces
tumors in experimental animals.
The director of OSHA was required to explain why a
regional officer had failed to follow up on the original
complaint. The officer could have taken more effective
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action had he known that Compound 1189 is also "Kepone" and
that the information was available in EPA files. But the
regional officer could not have known. In seeking data
through an informal network of experts, the officer followed
the usual procedure available to him and thus did not turn
up the information in EPA files.
Only a few details have been changed in this account.
Fortunately, since then steps have been taken to help pre-
vent such incidents from occurring. OSHA has changed its
procedures for processing complaints, industry has increased
efforts to prevent such situations, and Congress has im-
proved the institutional framework for controlling chemicals
by passing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Nevertheless,
the success of such preventive efforts will require altering
the logistics of finding and obtaining information when it
is needed.
The purpose of this document is to report the progress
that has been made since 1976 toward developing a compre-
hensive and efficient system to provide data and information
relevant to chemicals. Beginning in February 1981, a Chemi-
cal Substances Information Network (CSIN) will offer a
powerful computerized tool for scanning government and com-
mercial, files for the existence of all types of data relating
to chemical substances—nomenclature, composition, structure,
properties, toxicity, effects, production, use, regulation,
and other aspects.
CSIN is a user-oriented network designed to make data
on toxic substances rapidly and easily accessible. The
system will ultimately serve not only government agencies
with regulatory responsibilities, but also scientists, the
industrial community, academia, public interest groups, and
others concerned with chemical substances. A telecommunica-
tions network will link CSIN users to the information stored
in the system's independent component resources (computer-
stored sets of information made accessible through the
network). Two major directories will help users find the
information they need. A variety of other CSIN components
will meet specialized user needs.
Development of the Chemical Substances Information
Network has been scheduled to progress in three stages:
1) preprototype, 2) version I prototype, and 3) version II
prototype. In January 1980, the preprototype CSIN was im-
plemented on an intelligent terminal (a computer terminal
with limited storage and programming capabilities) to serve
the information needs of the TSCA program at EPA. Under
TSCA, the Environmental Protection Agency must evaluate
notices of intent to manufacture new chemicals within 90
days of their receipt. The National Library of Medicine of
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the National Institutes of Health also uses the preproto-
type version of CSIN.
The preprototype assists the user in executing multi-
system searches (searches initiated in one system in order
to find information contained in more than one system) and
can be used to search for information contained in five
different information resources. Use of the preprototype
terminal has helped to clarify the kinds of chemical infor-
mation needed and to provide helpful experience with estab-
lishing connections to automated components.
The version I prototype is expected in February 1981,
and the version II prototype approximately one year later.
Each stage in the development of CSIN will achieve greater
integration of databases (sets of information stored in
computers or in manual files) and a more powerful overall
system.
CSIN is a project of the Interagency Toxic Substances
Data Committee (ITSDC), which was formed in February 1978
as a permanent body for managing interagency cooperation in
the use of data relating to chemicals. Under at least a
dozen major federal laws/ agencies collect data about almost
every conceivable aspect of chemicals, including their pro-
duction and use (see Figure 1). More than 220 federal data
systems in a variety of agencies contain such information.
Most of these systems have been designed to meet the needs
of their home agency, and provide, for example, information
on occupational exposures or on the transportation of
hazardous substances. Many systems contain varied, often
highly specialized, and sometimes duplicative information.
Some of the content is confidential business information,
which complicates its use. Moreover, the information re-
quirements posed by chemical regulation, toxicological re-
search, chemical manufacture, and other related activities
have grown steadily and dramatically.
This first annual report of the Interagency Toxic Sub-
stances Data Committee begins with a description of the
organization of the committee. It continues with a dis-
cussion of the committee's accomplishments since 1978,
focusing on the development of CSIN and its major components.
The report concludes with a section on the role of chemical
information as the tools for making use of such data continue
to grow in number and sophistication.
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FIGURE 1
LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES AFFECTING THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CHEMICAL
FEEDSTOCKS MANUFACTURER *\ T
WASTE
(RCRA)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
(OSHA. FIFRA)
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II. THE INTERAGENCY TOXIC SUBSTANCES DATA COMMITTEE
Congress included in the Toxic Substances Control Act
two provisions that directly address the problem of informa-
tion identification and management. Section 25(b) directs
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in consultation
with other departments and agencies,
to coordinate a study of the feasibility of estab-
lishing a standard classification system for chemi-
cal substances and related substances and ... a
standard means for storing and for obtaining rapid
access to information respecting such substances
and to report to Congress on the results. Section 10(b)
directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish
and be responsible for an interagency committee
rto design, establish and coordinate an efficient
and effective system . . . for the collection,
dissemination to other Federal departments and
agencies and use of information submitted under
[the] Act,
and of a system for the retrieval of toxicological and other
scientific data which could be useful for carrying out the
purpose of the law.
To fulfill their responsibilities under Sections 10 and
25 of TSCA, EPA and CEQ formed the ITSDC in February 1978.
The ITSDC has a permanent charter, reports to the Admini-
strator of EPA and the Chairman of CEQ, and is co-chaired
by the two agencies. Membership includes the Departments of
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, Labor,
State, and Transportation; the Department of Health and Human
Services and several of its component agencies; the Consumer
Product Safety Commission; and the National Science Founda-
tion. In keeping with its intent to maximize coordination
and usefulness of federal information resources, the com-
mittee holds public, bimonthly meetings of which detailed
minutes are kept.
The committee is currently guiding the development of
the Chemical Substances Information Network on the basis of
a survey of existing chemical information systems prepared
for CEQ by the Mitre Corporation. The ITSDC has also under-
taken to coordinate federal information gathering activities
and the use of information outside the federal government,
and to find methods of transferring trade secrets and other
confidential information among agencies without breaching
secrecy. Accordingly, the committee has organized three
subcommittees.
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The Chemical Substances Information Network Subcommittee
was formed in April 1978 to conduct studies to develop infor-
mation systems to capture, store, and allow rapid access to
relevant data and information. Chaired by the National
Library of Medicine, this group steers the design, policies,
implementation, management, and uses of the developing CSIN.
In February 1979, the committee appointed a Network Admin-
istrator to oversee the day-to-day activities of CSIN
development. The Environmental Protection Agency is current-
ly responsible for design, development, coordination, and the
administration of the network. The CSIN Subcommittee has also
enlisted the help of a Technical Review Panel composed of ex-
perts from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, the University of
Florida, and the National Bureau of Standards. These experts
meet semi-annually to discuss their evaluation of CSIN design
and implementation with the subcommittee. The subcommittee
has made considerable headway in the design and construction
of the Information Network. Section III of this report will
describe these developmental efforts in detail.
A Trade Secrets Subcommittee has been appointed to handle
issues relative to the use of confidential data. Both statu-
tory provisions concerning data confidentiality and practices
of federal agencies currently act as barriers to the sharing
of confidential data, even on a need-to-know basis, between
federal agencies and among the states. These obstructions
have led to duplication of effort and inefficient data col-
lection. The public, in order to participate in decision
making and in independent evaluation of data, also requires
access on a good-cause basis to confidential data. The
Trade Secrets Subcommittee, chaired by CEQ, is currently
working on legislative proposals which address each of these
issues as recommended in May 1980 by the Toxic Substances
Strategy Committee.
The Public Liaison Subcommittee was established to pro-
vide a link to state and local government, academic institu-
tions, industry, environmental and consumer groups, inter-
national organizations, and other interested parties concerned
about federal actions on chemical substances. It also serves
these non-federal groups as an avenue for suggestions and
reactions.
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III. THE CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES INFORMATION NETWORK
The CSIN Concept
If people and the environment are to be protected from
toxic substances, many things must be learned about such
chemicals. Knowing the chemistry of a compound is a first
step in determining what dangers it may pose. To comprehend
or control its life-cycle it is necessary to investigate the
substance's movement in commerce and through society. A
variety of questions may arise:
Where is a chemical made? How is it transported
and used?
0 What characterizes the site of its release and
the forces that act upon it—i.e., is it re-
leased to the water, land, or air?
0 What effect will the action of the sun, the wind,
or of other chemicals have upon its fate?
0 Who or what is exposed to it?
0 How will it influence biological systems upon
which it impinges?
0 Is the chemical toxic?
0 Is its use regulated?
Individual databases usually provide only a portion of
the data required to answer these questions. Users must
traditionally locate and then examine many databases, one
by one, in order to ensure thorough treatment of a subject.
Some of the databases are automated, but others must be
manipulated manually. Only a frequent user of a particular
information system is apt to be familiar with its idiosyn-
cracies. CSIN, however, coordinates many disparate and
independent information systems into a network, providing
access to more capabilities and data than any single system
could provide.
The hub of CSIN is a query processor (management com-
puter) that links the user to the many information systems
where relevant data are available (see Figure 2). It
connects independently owned and operated systems, and
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FIGURE 2
QUERY PROCESSOR (MANAGEMENT
COMPUTER) OPERATION
CSIN
Query
Processor
I
oo
I
Telecommunications Network
/s,
Chemical
[dentification
System
Commercial
System
Bibliographic
System
Other
Systems
-------
provides for their virtually simultaneous use. The pro-
cessor is essential because even an apparently simple query
(information search) may require interaction with a variety
of sources. For example, to investigate the threat posed to
human health by a given chemical, it typically would be
necessary to:
a. search a chemica'!/ identification system to
learn the chemical's composition, molecular
structure, full name, and possible synonyms
or trade names;
b. search a bibliographic system for reference
to and abstracts of published material on the
chemical;
c. search a management tracking system for infor-
mation on government regulatory activity
related to the chemical;
d. search a data management and analysis system
for data on laboratory experiments that have
been performed using the chemical;
e. search a management information system for
data on production of the chemical.
Without the use of CSIN, access to each of these infor-
mation systems would be possible only in a way unique to the
specific system, requiring the user to master the "language"
needed to communicate with each system. As a rule, the
process would be repeated for each chemical about which
information was desired, even when the query concerned re-
lated chemicals. The repetition of common operations for
different chemicals and for a variety of systems makes the
gathering of information a time consuming, expensive process.
CSIN streamlines and coordinates existing procedures
and thus increases productivity. For example, the pre-
prototype version of CSIN was used to gather information
on the effects induced by 1,150 chemicals on the genetic
composition and functioning of biological systems. Using
traditional methods of information gathering, the search
of four databases was expected to take 15 weeks. Much of
this time would have been spent re-entering the data re-
trieved from one system into another system, and then
waiting for output (computer produced responses). Such
work is error-prone as well as time consuming.
Instead, CSIN enabled those responsible for the task to
retrieve information from databases, combine the data with
other information, transform data into the correct formats
for the different databases, and submit transformed data in
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subsequent queries. Because there is a charge for use of
the Information Network, the searches were conducted during
less expensive off-hours.
The government users needed six days to enter the
necessary information. Within two weeks, the results of
the searches for all 1,150 chemicals were gathered. Per-
sonnel credit CSIN with saving them three months of work.
CSIN Components
CSIN will be only as useful as the information in the
component systems. The concept for a Chemical Substances
Information Network, including its potential components,
was first described in a June 1977 MITRE Corporation report
to CEQ, EPA, and the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare (now HHS). The report's recommendations were based
on a survey of potential users of chemical information,
including federal, industrial, academic, and consumer action
groups. Some of these potential users require only very
general information on a large number of chemicals to aid in
policy planning. Others may need in-depth information on
only a few substances to identify substitute chemicals for a
particular industrial application, or to study the relation-
ship between one feature of chemical structure and a
particular biological effect. The report suggested that
CSIN should encompass a collection of databases for each of
the major categories of user needs. The "core" or primary
components, would include:
0 Data gathered under the authority of TSCA, in a
confidential file for EPA use.
0 A portion of the TSCA file containing only non-
confidential data available for public use.
0 A directory of detailed information (Chemical
Information Resources Directory) about each
component file, which will identify those
files meeting the users' specific needs.
0 A chemical structure and nomenclature catalog
(Chemical Structure and Nomenclature System)
with identifying labels for an estimated one
million chemicals, including a cross-reference
to other files containing information about each
substance.
0 A file of data and information on the biological
effects of chemicals, gathered from research and
toxic testing conducted by government, industry,
and academia.
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o
A facility for the collection, monitoring, evalua-
tion, and reporting of unevaluated test data.
0 A bibliographic system for articles from toxi-
cological and biomedical journals.
0 Data about laboratory animal strains for use in
designing test systems.
0 Information about government actions concerning
chemicals or classes of chemicals.
Additional study confirmed that the components listed
above will satisfy initial user needs, and efforts are well
underway to incorporate such systems into CSIN at the
earliest possible date. Some of these components are
already marketed commercially, some are maintained by
federal agencies, and others are under development within
agencies or within groups of agencies working cooperatively.
In addition, the Chemical Structure and Nomenclature System
(CSNS) and the Chemical Information Resources Directory
(CIRD) are being developed under the aegis of the ITSDC.
They are described in more detail in Section V; those com-
ponents not directly administered by the ITSDC are dis-
cussed in Section VI.
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IV. CSIN DEVELOPMENT: PROGRESS TO DATE
A Chemical Substances Information Network development
contract for phased implementation was awarded in September
1977. Since then, the following aspects of the CSIN project
have been completed:
0 Comprehensive study of user requirements.
0 Sketch for design of CSIN architecture.
0 Installation of a preprototype terminal,
functioning as the preprototype CSIN query
processor since January 1980.
0 Detailed design of a prototype CSIN query
processor, expected to be in use as of
February 1981 by organizations representing
federal and state government agencies, in-
dustry, universities, and public interest
groups.
Analysis of User Requirements
Implementation of the Chemical Substances Information
Network demanded a more detailed understanding of the needs
of potential users. The development contractor, the
Computer Corporation of America (CCA), completed an analysis
in June 1980 which not only detailed the required functions
of the CSIN query processor, but also described potential
uses of network components. The results provided the ITSDC
with a solid conceptual framework and information base for
guiding further network development.
The CCA study included:
0 140 interviews;
0 An analysis of more than 100 information products
(research papers and management reports);
0 Examination of computerized databases and numerous
non-automated information sources in regular use
at the surveyed organizations.
The surveyed organizations have a broad range of re-
sponsibilities (see Table 1). In addition to six depart-
ments of the Executive Branch and several independent federal
agencies and commissions, the study included organizations
representing the chemical industry and public interest
groups. The breadth of the sample group and the strength
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TABLE I
ORGANIZATIONAL MISSIONS
ORGANIZATION
Center for
Disease
Control
(CDC)
ORGANIZATION
TYPE
Service
Research
Regulatory
Conservation
Foundation
(CF)
Consumer
Product
Safety
Commission
(CPSC)
Chemical
Industry
Institute of
Toxicology
(CUT)
Public
advocate
Research
Research
Investigatory
Regulatory
Industry
advocate
Research
RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS
Advises other compo-
nent agencies of the
Department of Health
and Human Services;
advises state, local,
and international
authorities concerning
clinical illness of
an infectious nature.
Coordinates Clinical
Lab Improvement Pro-
gram with DoD. In-
directly affiliated
with NTP.
Advises EPA, FWS.
Advises NTP
Advises EPA, FDA,
NIEHS, and NCI.
MISSION WITH RESPECT
TO CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES
Investigate and assist in the
control of endemic and epidemic
disease on a national and inter-
national level.
Improve the quality of the
environement and promote the
wise use of the earth's
resources.
Protect the public against
unreasonable risks from con-
sumer products.
Conduct scientific, objective
studies of toxicological pro-
blems involved in the manufac-
ture, handling, use and dis-
posal of commodity chemicals.
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TABLE I (CONTINUED)
Department
of Defense
(DoD)
Environmental
Protection
Agency - Office
of Research and
Development
(EPA-ORD)
Environmental
Protection
Agency -
Office of
Toxic
Substances
(EPA-OTS)
Federation of
the American
Societies of
Experimental
Biology
(FASEB)
Fish and
Wildlife
Service
(FWS)
Military
Research
Contributes funding
and support to ORNL.
Performs testing and
evaluation for other
EPA offices. Advises
NTP.
Investigate military appli-
cations of chemicals and
protect military personnel
and environments from chemical
hazards.
Perform monitoring and re-
search in support of other
EPA divisions.
Research
Regulatory
Coordinating
Research
Contracting
Research
Investigation
Regulation
Refers cases to other
offices of EPA and
other agencies for
investigation and
regulation. Coordi-
nates EPA actions con-
cerning toxic substances.
Contracts to DoD, FDA.
Protect human health and the
environment through the con-
trol of certain chemical sub-
stances.
Represent and support the six
professional biological societies
that constitute its membership.
Approves permits and
Environmental Impact
Statements for EPA.
Assesses fish and wild-
life impacts of actions
by DoD, NASA, DoE, and
the Department of Jus-
tice. Advises state,
local, and international
authorities.
Conserve and manage fish and
wildlife sources and their
habitats.
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TABLE I (CONTINUED)
Food and
Drug
Administration
- Bureau of
Drugs
(FDA-BD)
Food and
Drug
Administration
- Bureau of
Food
(FDA-BF)
National
Bureau of
Standards
(NBS)
National
Cancer
Institute
(NCI)
National
Center for
Toxicological
Research
(NCTR)
National
Institute
for
Occupational
Safety and
Research
Regulatory
Research
Regulatory
Research
Regulatory
Research
Research
Research
Investigatory
Advises Public Health
Service agencies. In-
directly affiliated
with NTP.
Advises Public Health
Service agencies. In-
directly affiliated
with NTP.
Advises EPA and OSHA.
Member of NTP.
Member of NTP. Advises
EPA, CPSC, and OSHA
through NTP board af-
filiations.
Advises OSHA on occu-
pational standards.
Advises Department of
Interior on mining
health standards.
Ensure that drugs, bio-
logical products, thera-
peutic devices, and diag-
nostic products are safe,
effective and properly
labelled.
Ensure that food is whole-
some and safe, that cos-
metics are safe, and that
both are honestly labelled.
Provide a national labora-
tory for physical standards.
Develop the means for reducing
the incidence, morbidity, and
mortality of cancer in humans.
Develop a better understanding
of the adverse health effects
of potentially toxic chemicals
on living organisms.
Reduce morbidity and mortality
due to occupational toxicological
hazards. Conduct research to
assist OSHA in developing stand-
ards to protect American workers.
Health
(Nil
OSH)
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TABLE I (CONTINUED)
National
Institute of
Environmental
Health
Sciences
(NIEHS)
National
Toxicology
Program
(NTP)
Oak Ridge
National
Laboratory
(ORNL)
Occupational
Safety and
Health
Administration
(OSHA)
Stanford
Research
Institute
(SRI)
Research
Advises EPA. Member
of NTP. NIEHS and NTP
share a Director. Ad-
ministrates Environ-
mental Teratology Info
Center, an ORNL data-
base.
Coordinating NIH, NIEHS
Service
Research
Regulatory
Research
Consulting
Conduct and support bio-
medical -research that will
identify, characterize and
prevent adverse effects of
environmental agents on
human health.
Develop scientific information
that can be used to protect
the health of the American
public from damage by exposure
to environmental chemicals.
Contracts to DoE. Pro- Perform basic and applied re-
vides resources for EPA, search on energy-related topics.
NIEHS, and NCI.
Receives input on oc-
cupational standards
from NIOSH, EPA, FDA,
NIEHS, NCI, and CPSC.
Advises NTP.
Contracts to NIOSH,
NCI, FASEB, and ORNL
Make the workplace a safe
environment for employees.
Perform basic and applied
research, with a strong
emphasis on problem solving,
under contract to clients in
business, industry, and
government in the U.S. and
abroad.
-------
of key conclusions support,expectations that the study
results will apply to the total community of prospective
CSIN users.
The study confirmed that more effective integration of
and access to already available chemical information is the
most pressing need. Although the community of prospective
users is diverse, the study found that a relatively small
number of operations (activities performed by a computer to
answer information requests) will support most organizational
missions. These activities, which the study called trans-
actions, are executed several hundred times every day. The
following hypothetical example illustrates the concept of a
transaction.
A woman who had worked in the carding room at a cotton
mill for 25 years developed persistent respiratory trouble.
Her doctor noticed shadows on her most recent chest x-rays,
and suggested that the respiratory problem might be occu-
pationally related. To find out if her doctor's surmise
was correct, she called a regional office of the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
By engaging in activities called processes, NIOSH
researchers tried to determine what, if any, harmful sub-
stances the woman might have been exposed to at work. They
explored the effects of any such exposure and related them
to those that she had experienced.
One of the processes that they used was called
"Identification and Quantification of Effects." The goal
of the "Effects" process was to determine whether exposure
to cotton dust or other substances in the work environment
might have produced the described adverse effects. This
process can be supported by a number of information gather-
ing tasks, called transactions. The ten transactions that
were used in support of the "Effects" process are shown in
Figure 3. The two most critical transactions, "Retrieval of
Chemicals Causing Specific Effects" and "Retrieval of
Biological Effects," involved direct searching for links
between substances and their effects.
In this search, the NIOSH officials posed the follow-
ing question: What substances have been associated with
chronic respiratory illness which is neither bacterial nor
viral in nature? To find an answer, they performed a
transaction—"Retrieval of Chemicals Causing Specific
Effects." As part of this transaction, the computer pro-
vided the list of databases and bibliographic sources listed
in Figure 4. The subsequent automated search of these
sources resulted in a long list of references to written
material concerning the causes of various types of chronic
- 18 -
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FIGURE 3
TEN TRANSACTIONS SUPPORTING THE
"IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF EFFECTS" PROCESS
1. Retrieval of Chemical and Physical Properties
2. Derivation of Chemical and Physical Properties
3. Retrieval of Chemical Relationships
4. Derivation of Chemical Relationships
5. Retrieval of Effects (Biological)
6. Retrieval of Effects (Physical Environment)
7- Retrieval of Chemicals Causing Specific Effects
8. Retrieval of Methods to Be Applied
9. Retrieval of Transport (Biological) Information
10. Retrieval of Transport (Physical) Information
- 19 -
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FIGURE 4
SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON
CHEMICALS CAUSING SPECIFIC EFFECTS
Sources of Bibliographic References
APTIC FILE - Air Pollution Technical Information Center File
BIOSIS Previews - Biosciences Information Service Previews
CANCERLIT - Cancer Literature
CHEMABSTRACTS - Chemical Abstracts
EXCERPTA MEDICA
MEDLINE - Medical Literature and Retrieval Service Online
NIOSHTIC - National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health Technical Information Center Database
POLLUTION ABSTRACTS
SCISEARCH - Science Citation Index
TITUS - Textile Information Treatment User's Service
TOXLINE - Toxicology Information Online
WTA - World Textile Abstracts
Sources of Data (Not Specifically Limited to Biographic
Citations)
CICIS - Chemicals in Commerce Information System
HEEDA - Health Effects and Environmental Data Analysis System
TDB - Toxicology Data Bank
- 20 -
-------
respiratory problems, including smoke, dust (coal and
cotton), pollens, asbestos, and fiberglass.
Another approach was to search for the potential
effects of substances found in the cotton industry working
environment. From a study of the woman's work environment
and from trace compounds discovered in her medical examina-
tion, a list of substances to which she had probably been
exposed at work was compiled. A search for the chronic
biological effects of those substances was then made.
Accordingly, the next transaction to support the "Effects"
process was called "Retrieval of Biological Effects."
The researchers posed this question: What chronic re-
spiratory effects have been identified with cotton, cotton
dust, smoke, and pollens? To find an answer, the computer
searched the databases and bibliographic reference sources
shown in Figure 5. The result was a list of several hundred
references concerning the chronic respiratory effects of the
substances mentioned. Among the effects were black lung,
emphysema, asthma, and byssinosis.
An analysis of the results of the two transactions indi-
cated a possible link between the woman's disease, byssinosis,
and the cotton industry work environment. The information was
uncovered through a combination of extensive analysis by pro-
fessionals and performance of relatively straightforward in-
formation gathering activities—called transactions—that are
subject to automation. Each transaction used data obtained
from two or more sources. The data was then automatically col-
lected, organized, and integrated into a single, unified output.
Transactions are complex operations, subject to consider-
able variation from one instance to the next. The study of
user requirements suggested that after mapping the trans-
actions of prospective users, a set of specific databases
that contain required information could be selected. The
following related conclusions were drawn from the study;
some are discussed later in greater detail:
o
There is a heavy and accelerating demand for
chemical information in the surveyed community.
0 Because the described transactions are needed to
satisfy central goals and support the regular
business of these organizations, a chemical infor-
mation network should be available to users on
a frequent and regular basis.
0 The surveyed user community can be expected to
execute the 20 studied transactions at least tens
of thousands of times per year.
- 21 -
-------
FIGURE 5
SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS
Sources of Bibliographic References
CHEMABSTRACTS - Chemical Abstracts
EXCERPTA MEDICA
MEDLINE - Medical Literature and Retrieval Service Online
NIOSHTIC - National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health Technical Information Center Database
POLLUTION ABSTRACTS
SCISEARCH - Science Citation Index
TOXLINE - Toxicology Information Online
WTA -tWorld Textile Abstracts
Sources of Data (Not Specifically Limited to Biographic
Citations)
CICIS - Chemicals in Commerce Information System
HEEDA - Health Effects and Environmental Data Analysis System
TDB - Toxicology Data Bank
- 22 -
-------
o
o
o
Transactions originate at many different loca-
tions across the country, and the data required
by the transactions are dispersed throughout the
United States.
It is essential that the design of CSIN provide
for efficient control of confidential data so
that they are not accessible to unauthorized
personnel.
The quality of information obtained is of great
importance to surveyed users. Such information
should meet the criteria of timeliness, consisten-
cy, completeness, and veriflability.
A chemical information network must be able to
support a sequence of functions. It should be
able to select the relevant databases and
language required for gaining access to them,
translate a user's question into database termi-
nology, gather information from many resources,
and assemble the information into a response
stated in the user's terminology, using an
optimal search strategy throughout.
The CSIN Design
ITSDC efforts to date have centered on the most innova-
tive aspect of CSIN—the design of the query processor. The
most basic function of the CSIN query processor or management
computer is to serve as a communications facility capable of
connecting users to the component information systems. The
processor also helps integrate the resources of the individual
components. By submitting a single request for information,
a user can gain access to data contained in more than one of
the component systems.
CSIN will also facilitate information searching in the
three ways discussed below.
I. User-defined queries are helpful in performance of
repetitive tasks. A preliminary search of bibliographic sys-
tems for literature references is one of the first steps in
the investigation of most substances. This is a mechanical
procedure that might proceed as follows:
1. Obtain a chemical identifier, such as the
formal chemical name, for the substance;
2. Query a prespecified set of bibliographic
systems using the chemical identifier as
well as other names as search terms (key-
words) ;
- 23 -
-------
3. Collect and print the references.
This type of request is routine, but time consuming if
conducted by the user individually interacting with each of
several bibliographic systems. The operation requires access
to chemical identification system for step #1 and several bi-
bliographic resources for step #2. To retrieve the informa-
tion, the user must gain access to each component, invoke the
desired subsystem (portion of a component), and issue the
correct commands (words used to obtain information from the
computer). All of these operations take time. Moreover,
because the syntax or search strategy required varies from
system to system, the user must know a variety of command
languages, error correction procedures, and other system-
dependent details. These problems can be eliminated through
use of the "query definition" facility, which enables the
user to select a prepackaged sequence of transactions—a so-
called SCRIPT--which can be invoked with a single command.
CSIN will then execute the entire set of transactions auto-
matically and deliver the results to the user. Repetitive
searches can thus be performed with far greater speed and
accuracy than is possible using a manual procedure.
II. The query facility reduces hurdles which normally
might prohibit multi-system searching. It will aid users
who wish to browse through several systems as well as those
with ad hoc queries. Ad hoc queries are less predictable in
pattern than the repetitive operations embodied in other query
procedures. Though the actual question may be simple, ad hoc
queries often range over more than one component system,
each with its own procedures, terms, and syntax. When either
browsing or making an ad hoc query, users need to decide
as they search which component systems they would like to
examine next. The query facility gives them that flexibility.
However, only selected data will be available through
the query facility. At times a user may need to gain direct
access to component systems. In this case, the user will need
the third CSIN capability.
III. Certain special functions will be available through
direct interaction with CSIN components. For instance, a user
might wish to know which chemicals are structurally related
to a particular substance. The resulting interaction with a
chemical substructure search system could require graphical
display (pictorial depiction of information at a computer
terminal) that might best be implemented at the level of the
component system. CSIN will ease this kind of search in two
ways. First, it will provide facilities to streamline direct
user.communication with a specialized component system.
Second, CSIN will make it possible to use data retrieved
from the specialized component in a subsequent query involv-
ing other systems.
- 24 -
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V. THE CSIN DIRECTORIES
As we have seen, the first step in retrieving informa-
tion is locating potential sources. Two CSIN components,
the Chemical Information Resources Directory and the Chemical
Structure and Nomenclature System, will assist in this pro-
cess. These key systems are being developed under the aegis
of the ITSDC. Together they will provide a comprehensive and
coordinated set of indexes to the information available through-
out the network.
Chemical Information Resources Directory (CIRD)
The CIRD describes to the user what types of data are
available in the different network components. To enable
users to identify the databases relevant to a specified sub-
ject, the CIRD will use subject and descriptive catalogs, de-
signed to function together.
The subject catalog provides a means of selecting infor-
mation resources appropriate to a subject area. The descrip-
tive catalog contains information pertinent to the use of a
particular database, including its availability, sponsor,
scope of information covered, and other characteristics. The
design requirements for the CIRD were completed in August 1979.
Eventually, the directory will be an interactive component of
CSIN. Further development of this feature of CSIN is underway.
Use of CIRD has further ramifications. Consider the
case of a glass manufacturer who, under the provisions of
TSCA, must substantiate the safety of the cadmium salt used
to color glass yellow. CIRD will help him efficiently un-
cover the needed data, first by identifying the relevant
component data bases. In this case there would be two:
TOXLINE (Toxicology Information Online) which contains
references to more than one million scientific journal
articles; and a commercial system, which contains data on
recent production and uses of cadmium salts.
An article referenced in TOXLINE, entitled "Comparative
Toxicity of Cadmium Compounds," could indicate that cadmium
salt might be toxic. Turning to the commercial system, the
glass manufacturer would find that the cadmium salt has been
used as a photo conductor in the solar cell industry. By
contacting several of the 21 solar cell manufacturers cited
in the commercial system, the glass manufacturer possibly can
determine what research has already been conducted on cad-
mium salts. Without CSIN, the glass manufacturer might not
have known that extensive analyses on the cadmium compounds
of interest had already been performed under the auspices of
manufacturers in an industry unrelated to his own.
- 25 -
-------
Chemical Structure and Nomenclature System
As it processes each request for information, CSIN must
be able to definitively identify a unique chemical substance
and unambiguously communicate that identify to other systems
in the network. The Chemical Structure and Nomenclature
System (CSNS) will help meet this need. The CSNS will enable
an information network user to determine whether a particular
substance or a set of structurally related chemicals of in-
terest exists in the network, and, if so, which component may
contain the desired information.
For CSNS to work, each component file must denote the
identity of individual chemical substances by at least one
common convention. Only then can diverse information systems
identify chemicals and exchange information about them. The
ITSDC will use the Chemical Abstracts Registry Service (CAS)
number of the American Chemical Society as the standard
chemical identifier in CSIN. Because the CAS number is cri-
tical to the information network, its origin and use are
explained here.
Chemical substances can be identified clearly by a
structural diagram; for example, the structural diagram
for a molecule of the predominant compound of DDT (p,p'-DDT)
is:
CC13
DDT
However, although a computer system can print such diagrams,
in most files that contain chemical information it is awkward
if not impossible to carry structure diagrams for identifi-
cation purposes. Instead, most files identify chemical sub-
stances by name. Names vary in accuracy from formal chemical
nomenclature, which can properly represent the structure, to
generic names, codes, or numbers which have little or no in-
formation content. If the same substance is identified dif-
ferently in various files, ambiguities and mistakes may occur
in attempting to transfer or link information concerning
chemicals from one file to another.
- 26 -
-------
The solution to this problem is to assign a unique number
to each chemical structure, and to use at least that "social
security number" to identify the same chemical each time infor-
mation about it is stored in a file. A computerized numbering
system for chemicals is presently maintained by CAS, which
has assigned numbers to more than five million substances
since it began registering chemicals in 1965. In its Report
to Congress, required by section 25 of TSCA, CEQ recommended
that "Government agencies should obtain numbers from this
'dictionary1 for all chemicals in their files, so it will be
feasible and possible to retrieve accurate information quickly
from diverse sources." The ITSDC endorses this recommendation
and is working with its member agencies and with CAS to imple-
ment this resolve.
Another important feature of CSNS is its ability to iden-
tify chemicals by their structural or substructural features.
This will allow the users to search for chemicals which have
common structural characteristics. It will facilitate
grouping of chemicals for structure activity correlation
(comparison of chemical activities based on structure) and
toxicity profiling (ranking of chemicals according to the
severity and type of threat they pose to humans and the en-
vironment) .
CSNS will also allow users to search for chemicals by
name or name fragments. This capability will help users
who are unable to specify compounds by their structures or
who find it easier to refer to chemicals by name. CSNS
will make it possible to search for materials, such as tars,
with ill-defined or variable structures.
CSNS may build upon several existing systems that perform
a substance identification function: the Chemical Information
Services Index (CIS) , CHEMLINE (Chemical Dictionary Online) of
NLM, the National Cancer Institute's Inquire information sys-
tem, and the Structure Search System of CAS. Each of these
has some of the capabilities and some of the data needed for
the Chemical Structure and Nomenclature System. The Com-
mittee expects to fund a contract for CSNS development in
fiscal year 1981, so that the CSNS will be operational by
mid-1982.
- 27 -
-------
VI. OTHER CSIN COMPONENTS
This section discusses the existing component systems
already included in the preprototype version of CSIN. They
are all administered by organizations other than the ITSDC.
Additional systems will be added to the information network
as the need arises, but it will include at least:
— Bibliographic Systems
— Chemicals in Commerce Information System
— Chemical Information System
~ Laboratory Animal Data Bank
— Toxicology Data Management System
Bibliographic Systems. Many CSIN users will need to find
existing literature on chemical and biomedical subjects. The
following publicly available bibliographic systems are current
or prospective components of CSIN:
— Bibliographic Retrieval Services
— Lockheed Corporation
— MEDLARS of the National Library of Medicine
— System Development Corporation
Chemicals in Cgmmerce Information System. Of the 55,000
chemicals now in commercial use, there are many about which
little is known. The Toxic Substances Control Act requires
manufacturers, processors, exporters, and importers to provide
information on new chemical substances proposed for produc-
tion and on selected existing chemicals. CICIS (Chemicals
in Commerce Information System) will be the repository for
almost all the information submitted to EPA under TSCA and
some that is generated by EPA in the TSCA program. The sys-
tem will provide access to information concerning production,
distribution, uses, industry studies, and process information.
Among the subsystems of the completed CICIS will be:
— Chemical Information Database: (contains data in
the current EPA inventory and additional data
from submissions)
- 29 -
-------
— Chemical Inventory System: (contains industry-
reported data on chemical substances currently
manufactured, processed, or imported into the U.S.
and data on the manufacturers, processors, and
importers)
— Health and Safety Subsystem: (used for tracking
health and safety studies submitted to EPA; some
actual data from the studies may also be stored
in this data base)
— Organization/Site Databases: (contains data
on industry submitters of data)
— Premanufacture Submission Module: (used
for display of selected portions of data
submitted in notices of intent to manufacture
a new chemical)
— Test Results Subsystem: (stores test result data
received under TSCA and from other sources; re-
sults will be linked to chemicals, documents, and
other data in the database)
CICIS introduces special complexities into the design of
CSIN. Because it will contain confidential business data, such
as production and marketing information, it requires a secure
operating environment. On the other hand, the nonconfidential
TSCA data will be sought by CSIN users, and must be publicly
available according to the provisions of TSCA. To ensure
availability of some data and protection of others, two CICIS
systems will be constructed and two CSIN processors: one con-
fidential, the other public (see Figure 6). Access to the con-
fidential system will be restricted to authorized users. The
confidential users will reside in a secure installation and
employ data encryption (coding) and other measures to protect
the confidential information. Users of the confidential sys-
tem will also have access to the rest of the network.
Chemical Information System. The Chemical Information
System (CIS) is a repository of physical and chemical infor-
mation on chemical substances. The system can be used to
retrieve data on the known properties of substances and to
estimate properties for which determinations have not yet
been made.
Laboratory Animal Data Bank. The Laboratory Animal Data
Bank (LADB) is a comprehensive source of information on labo-
ratory control animals. LADB maintains normal values (e.g.,
average body weight at two months) and pathology data on
species, strains, and colonies of animals. These data can
be helpful in developing new tests as well as in evaluating
previous test results, and in the selection of animal species
for future tests. LADB is already operative and expanding.
- 30 -
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FIGURE 6: CSIN CONFIGURATION
PROPOSED TO ENSURE PROTECTION
OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
User
User
?
Public
CSIN Query
Processor
u>
r
Confidential Subnetwork
User User
Q P
1
Security
tation
(guard)
Confidential
CSIN Query
Processor
Other
Confi-
dential
-------
The Toxicology Data Management System. Section 4 of
TSCA authorizes EPA to require industry to test chemicals
for health and environmental effects. Test data are also
reported to EPA under federal pesticides laws and to FDA
under its authorities. Research institutes around the
country generate additional test data for other purposes.
Such data are produced in staggering quantities, especially
during complex long-term studies concerned with the carci-
nogenic potential of a chemical substance.
The Toxicology Data Management System (TDMS) will main-
tain raw data from toxicological experiments. Because the
system requires less paperwork than manual procedures, it
can also serve as an efficient management and collection
agent for ongoing experiments. As a core component of CSIN,
TDMS will allow CSIN users, including testing laboratories
and chemical manufacturers, to report and monitor the status
of ongoing experiments, to examine raw data and procedures
used in different experiments, and to find out if experiments
are being performed on a given chemical.
Other Related Systems. Many other information systems
will be important to the CSIN user community, and will be
added to the system over time.
0 The Chemical Regulation and Guideline System. The
Chemical Regulation and Guideline System (CRGS)
maintains information on the status of chemical
regulations and guidelines as they develop. CRGS
will cover federal regulations, U.S. statutes,
state laws and regulations, court decisions,
international and foreign regulations, govern-
ment standards and guidelines, and other rele-
vant documents. The documents will not be
fully reproduced, but summary records will be
available for each citation. Relevant records
will be obtainable through the use of chemical
names, product/trade name, CAS registry number,
product code, date of issue, document category
code, responsible agency or controlled subject
terms. It will be available in 1981.
0 CHEMTRAX includes information on the status
of analyses for regulatory purposes. It provides
data on who is examining a substance, why they
are studying it, and where they are conducting
their analysis.
- 32 -
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The Health Effects and Environmental Data
Analysis (HEEDA) system is currently under
development. It will provide information on
the results of tests and evaluations of che-
mical effects on simple and complex animals
(amoebas to rodents).
UPGRADE is a system for analyzing data about
natural resources, health effects, the environ-
ment, and related issues. The UPGRADE facilities
include all the statistical capabilities found in
SAS (Statistical Analysis System), combined with
facilities to manipulate data.
- 33 -
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VII. CONCLUSION
Through the development of CSIN, the ITSDC has made
progre. s toward fulfillment of its TSCA mandate to establish
an efficient system for the coordination of chemical infor-
mation. Analysis has shown that the information network
will serve the demands of a wide range of users and will
greatly improve the usefulness of retrieval systems. The
CSIN query processor or management computer will be the hub
of the completed system. Through a telecommunications net-
work, it will link the user to the many component resources.
The Chemical Information Resources Directory will direct
users to the proper database, and the Chemical Substances
and Nomenclature System will assure positive identification
of all chemical substances. A range of specialized com-
ponents will cater to more particular user needs.
The ITSDC hopes for rapid and broad expansion of the
user community once the second prototype version of CSIN is
made available. However, several problems lie ahead. Few
are technical; rather, they are institutional, legal, and
economic. The variety of users and component systems will
complicate the procedure for formulating accounting and
billing procedures for components accessed through CSIN.
Each component system must prepare itself for the increased
volume of queries generated by CSIN. Among prospective
users, priorities must be established until the information
network is fully operational. Users must learn to take full
advantage of the CSIN query capabilities, but also to under-
stand the powers of its components, their limitations, and
the utility of the information retrieved.
The long term benefits of CSIN are at least threefold.
First, CSIN will serve to facilitate efficient and effective
information retrieval. And it will go beyond its prescribed
role to meet a second need. By tapping existing information
and uncovering information gaps, the CSIN framework will
enable users to plan future research and other efforts more
efficiently. Thirdly, CSIN can be thought of as the fore-
runner to similar systems in other subject areas that will
undoubtedly be developed during the coming decade. The
diversity and dispersion of automated information resources
has necessitated development of coordinating networks such
as CSIN, which facilitate optimal use of existing resources.
The ITSDC is pleased to report the progress that has
been made toward simplifying the retrieval of chemical infor-
mation. For the CSIN user, the intricate process of search-
ing multiple information sources will be immensely simplified,
Faster retrieval of more complete data promises to improve
both the long-term decisionmaking capabilities and emergency
responses of all users.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bracken, Marilyn C., et al. Chemical Substances Information
Network. Two volumes. McLean, Virginia: The Mitre
Corporation, 1977. [Volume I: PB 274 637, AlO, A01;
Volume II: PB 274 638, A13, A01]
Council on Environmental Quality. The Feasibility of A
Standard Chemical Classification System and a Standard
Chemical Substances Information System.Washington,
B.C.: GPO, 1978.(041-011-00039-4)
Eastlake III, Donald E., et al. Design of the Version I
Prototype Chemical Substances Information Network—
draft.Cambridge, Massachusetts: Computer Corporation
of America, revised 1980.
Graf-Webster, Erika. The Chemical Substances Information
Network Directories; TheirUser Functions and CSIN
Functions.McLean, Virginia:Graf Associates,1980.
Hororwitz, Aren J., et al. Design of a System for Pre-
Prototype Use of the Chemical Substances Information
Network. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Computer Corpora-
tion of America, 1979. [PB 80 178 320, A04, A01]
"Interagency Toxic Substances Data Committee Notice of
Charter, Membership and Meetings." Federal Register
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Lefkovitz, David, et al. Requirement for a Chemical Struc-
ture and Nomenclature System. Philadelphia: University
of Pennsylvania, 1979.[PB~105 216, All, A01]
Levitan, K., et al. Chemical Information Resource Directory
Two volumes. McLean, Virginia: The MITRE Corporation,
1979. [Volume I: PB 105 208, A99; Volume II: PB 105
190, A05, A01]
Note: The information given in parentheses indicates that
the item is available from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
That given in square brackets indicates availability
(accession number and price code, first for paper and then
for microfiche) from the National Technical Information
Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Va. 22151.
Because it is not feasible for the Superintendent of Documents
to correct prices manually in all publications stocked, the
prices charged may differ from the prices printed in the
publications.
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Marks, Bennett D., et al. A Sample Analysis for Require-
ments for the Chemical Substances Information Network.
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Computer Corporation of
America, 1979.
Overview of the Chemical Substances Information Network.
Sigma Data Computing Corporation, 1979.[PB 284 030,
A10, A01]
"Toxic Substances Control Act." Public Law 94-469.
Toxic Substances Strategy Committee. Toxic Chemicals and
Public Protection. Washington, B.C.: GPO, 1980.
(0-318-148/6294)
Wilson, Gerald A., et al. An Analysis for the Chemical
Substances Information Network. Two volumes.
Cambridge, MA:Computer Corporation of America, 19.
[Volume I: PB 80 222458, A06, A01; Volume II: PB
222 466, A10, A01]
. Immediate Requirements for a Chemical Substances
Information Network. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Computer
Corporation of America, 1979.
Winter, Richard A., et al. Immediate REquirements for a
Chemical Substances Information Network; Supplementary
Analysis"! Cambridge, Massachusetts: Computer Corpora-
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A Prototype Chemical Substances Information
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*U.S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING! OFFICE: 1981-0-31(1-082/225
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