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Ecotoxicology Databases and Expert Systems
Project Summary
One of EPA's long-term goals is to facilitate the exchange of credible scientific data and risk assessment information among private and public stakeholders. To meet this objective, this Division has developed a suite of databases and expert systems that can be used by risk assessors and researchers to quickly locate relevant ecotoxicology data and models.
Databases and expert systems include:
- The ECOTOX knowledgebase (www.epa.gov/ecotox), an internationally recognized database, which is regularly updated and available on the world-wide-web. ECOTOX provides information on adverse effects of single chemical stressors to ecologically relevant aquatic and terrestrial species;
- The PCB Residue Effects (PCBRes) database (available for download at: https://www.epa.gov/med/Prods_Pubs/pcbres.htm), which includes critical residue values for fish, mammals, and birds, especially as these relate to aquatic and aquatic-dependent species. Critical residue values are presented based upon PCB Aroclors and total PCB-based congener specific methods, as well as PCB toxicity expressed using the sum of the dioxin-like PCBs after adjustment using toxicity equivalence factors (TEF);
- The BSAF data set (available for download at: https://www.epa.gov/med/Prods_Pubs/bsaf.htm), with approximately 20,000 biota-sediment accumulation factors from 20 locations (mostly Superfund sites) for nonionic organic chemicals. The data set covers fresh, tidal, and marine ecosystems; and fish and benthic species;
- The fathead minnow data set (available for download at: https://www.epa.gov/med/Prods_Pubs/fathead_minnow.htm) of acute test data for a series of industrial organic compounds. The data set was used in the development of the ASTER expert system and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) based on the acute mode of action;
- ASTER (ASsessment Tools for the Evaluation of Risk; https://www.epa.gov/med/Prods_Pubs/aster.htm), an expert system linked to the ECOTOX knowledgebase developed to assist regulators in performing ecological risk assessments. The system includes models for estimating ecotoxicology endpoints, chemical properties, biodegradation, and environmental partitioning;
- The ToxRes (Toxicity Residue) database (available for download at: https://www.epa.gov/med/Prods_Pubs/tox_residue.htm), a collection of residue based effects data for inorganic and organic chemicals, published in 1999.
Key products
Weisbrod, A., L.P. Burkhard, J. Arnot, D. Powell, O.G. Mekenyan, P. Howard, C.L. Russom, R. Boething, Y. Sakuratani, T. Traas, T. Bridges, C. Lutz, M. Bonnell, T. Parkerton, and K. Woodburn. 2007. Workgroup report: Review of fish bioaccumulation databases used to identify persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances. Environmental Health Perspectives 115(2): 255-261.
Russom, C.L., R.L. Breton, J.D. Walker, and S.P. Bradbury. 2003. An overview of the use of quantitative structure-activity relationships for ranking and prioritizing large chemical inventories for environmental risk assessments. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 22:1810-1821.
Bradbury, S.P., C.L. Russom, G.T. Ankley, T.W. Schultz, and J.D. Walker. 2003. Overview of data and conceptual approaches for derivation of quantitative structure-activity relationships for ecotoxicological effects of organic chemicals. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 22:1789-1798.
Russom, C.L. 2002. Mining environmental toxicology information: Web resources. Toxicology 173:75-88.
Russom, C.L., S.P. Bradbury, S.J. Broderius, D.E. Hammermeister, and R.A. Drummond. 1997. Predicting modes of toxic action from chemical structure: Acute toxicity in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 16:948-967.
Project personnel
| Name | Phone | |
| Chris Russom | russom.chris@epa.gov | 218-529-5218 |
| Gary Ankley | ankley.gerald@epa.gov | 218-529-5147 |
| Lawrence Burkhard | burkhard.lawrence@epa.gov | 218-529-5164 |
| Dale Hoff | hoff.dale@epa.gov | 218-529-5386 |
| Chuck Stephan |
Research project update date
June 22, 2011