ECOTOX Knowledgebase Quick Guide

United States

Igen?ymental Protection www.epa.gov/ecotox EPA/600/S-22/218

General Guidance on Searches / Navigation / Explore / Help:

o The "Search" function is designed to query the data if the exact search parameters are known. Data can be restricted or refined by-selecting
additional search parameters. It is recommended that you conduct general searches initially, and filter or refine if the data set is too large.

o Using your browser's Back button will result in the loss of all search entries made in any of the ECOTOXforms. An alternative is to use the
"Explore" function.

o The "Explore" function allows you to search ECOTOX if the exact parameters you want to search are not known or if you would like a
visual representation of the data. This is a great starting point for filtering the data prior to running a search.

o The search logic includes two basic strategies, combination/union, and intersection. Within a search selection box, the selections
are combined. Between search selection boxes, the search will intersect.

o Context-specific help is available by clicking on the © located within the Chemical, Effects, Species, and Publication search parameters.

o The Help function contains complete User guide, Data Field Definitions, and the Terms Appendix with ECOTOX-controlled vocabularies and
definitions. You can also read more in: Olker et al. 2022 doi: 10.1002/etc.5324

o Researchers or managers using ECOTOX for analyses or summary projects should consult the original scientific paper to ensure
an understanding of the context of the data retrieved.

About Search

The "Search" function is located within a single web page. Click on the
plus sign next to each Search parameter to select or enter specific fields.

Search parameters (you must select at least one parameter):

All Chemicals (Names, CAS Registry numbers or predefined
groups)

All Effects (Search specific measurements or select major effect
groups from a predefined list)

All Endpoints (Select all or any endpoints, or statistics but no
endpoint or endpoint is not reported (NR))

All Species (Taxonomic Kingdom, Scientific or common names, or
predefined groups)

All Test Conditions (Any or all lab and field studies, water and soil
exposure, various control types, chemical analysis conducted,
and specific durations)

All Publication Options (Search by year, author, datasets or
specific ECOTOX data updates)

Any selections made using multiple parameter search boxes within the
search page will narrow the search result.

Perform a search (Update Search): Once all parameters are selected
or entered, click the "Update Search" button to apply the selection
parameters and perform the search. Aquatic and Terrestrial reports are
run separately. The search will run on the habitat that is selected
(Aquatic or Terrestrial) at the time the "Update Search" button is clicked.
Clicking to select the other habitat will automatically run that search
provided no other changes were made to search parameters.

Customize Output Fields: To change the extracted fields displayed
and exported, click the "Customize Output Fields" button and then click
"Select AH" or click boxes next to fields to include in the report.

Reports: All results initially display in HTML format. You can choose to
export the report after the results are retrieved by selecting the "Export
as..." button. Excel and delimited reports are available for selection.

Reset All: Clears all Search parameters.

View All Applied: View the selected parameters. Can be exported to
retain a record of the search.

< Chemicals

Q,, Name(s) or CAS number(s)

O Contains Q Exact Match

Enter each chemical name and/or CAS registry number on separate lines.

< Effect Measurements

Effect(s) (eg. food, vitellogenin, acetylcholine)

Q Contains Q Exact Match

Enter each effect measurement on separate lines.

I I Exclude Post-exposure Measurements

B Any Effect Group

Accumulation Group

Behavior Group

I Avoidance

Growth Group

J Developmental
Q Growth

Update Search

Aquatic Terrestrial

Customize Output Fields

0 Export as...

x Reset All

View All Applied

For more information on the ECOTOX Knowledgebase: Telephone: 218 529 5225 Email: ecotox.support@epa.gov

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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

ECOTOX Knowledgebase Quick Guide
www.epa.gov/ecotox EPA/600/S-22/218

About Explore

Choose a starting point below.

"Explore" is a great tool for searching the ECOTOX Knowledgebase if you do
not know the exact parameters you want to search or would like a visual
representation of general and specific data patterns. Explore provides an
interactive way to initiate queries by Chemicals, Species or Effects, apply
filters, and plot the results. From Explore, click the "Send Query Filters to
Search" button to further refine parameters and export results from "Search".

Queries in Explore are predominately driven by selecting predefined groups
within each of the Chemicals, Species, and Effects pages. Users are also able
to customize queries by clicking the 'Create Custom Group' button and
browsing or entering information for Chemicals, Species, or Effects.

Querying and Filtering Data:

To query the data, start by selecting the parameter of interest (Chemicals,
Species or Effects). Select from the predefined lists, then click "Explore Data".

From the tables displayed for the Group Summary or Records, you can further
refine the data by applying Query Filters or selecting to include/exclude Aquatic
or Terrestrial habitats. The following Query Filter options are available in Explore:

• Chemicals; Within the Chemicals filter, you may select one or more
chemical names using control/click to highlight chemical(s) of interest.

• Species Group: Within the Species Group filter, you may select one or
more species groups using control/click to highlight group(s) of
interest.

• Family: Within the Family filter, you may select one or more families
using control/click to highlight those of interest.

• Genus: Within the Genus filter, you may select one or more genus using
control/click to highlight those of interest.

• Species: Within the Species filter, you may select one or more
species using control/click to highlight those of interest.

• Effect Groups: Within this filter, you may select one or more effect
groups using control/click to highlight group(s) of interest.

• Effect Measurements: Within the Effect Measurements filter, you may
select one or more effects using control/click to highlight
measurement(s) of interest.

® Endpoints: Within the Endpoints filter, you may select one or more
endpoints using control/click to highlight endpoint(s) of interest.

• Duration: Within the Duration filter, you may specify a value or range
for the Observed Duration (in days).

• Publication Years: Here, you may specify a range of publication years.

Interactive Data Display:

Once a query has been run, the data can be displayed in the interactive
plot options with results continued to be refined using the Query Filters
mentioned above. After the query is run, you can toggle between various
features (Group Summary, Records, and Plot View).

The pre-defined plot options have Chemical Concentration (in a unit ratio
equivalent to ppm) on the y-axis and either Effect Group or Duration (in
days) on the x-axis. The Custom button allows other plot options with
either Chemical Concentration or Duration on the y-axis and any of the
categorical filters on the x-axis and Legend Category.

• Data records can be plotted if they can be converted to the standardized
concentration units (ppm).

® In the simplified Results Table below the plot, data displayed can be
limited using text boxes above each column.

• Both table and plot can be exported, "Send Query Filters to Search" is
recommended to allow the export of results with all available fields.

Q Send Query Filters to Search O

Create Custom Group...

Explore Data >

Chemicals

(173)

All

Species Group

(14)

All

Class

(47)

All

Order

(147)

All

Family

(278)

All

Genus

(506)

All

Species

(704)

All

•v

(173) Special Interest Groups

(3)

(14) Effect Groups

(21)

(47) Effect Measurements

(1979)

(75)

(278) Duration (Observed)-Days (477)

Publication Years

Group Summary

Records

Plot View

Dur*Chem DurxEndpt Custom

0 Export

Table as CSV
Export Plot as Image

For more information on the ECOTOX Knowledgebase: Telephone: 218 529 5225 Email: ecotox.support@epa.gov

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