Research Guides: Environmental and Occupational Health: Web Resources

NACCHO:

National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) Local Health Department (LHD) Directory by zip code.

Environmental Legislation/Regulations:

E-Books for EOH Concepts

Nature of Evidence
E-book by the National Academies Press titled Environment Health Sciences Decision-Making: Risk Management, Evidence, and Ethics: A Workshop Summary (2009) provides a good summary on the strategies used to make decisions, including defining the 'nature of evidence' and measures of evidence credibility. The table of contents and chapters are accessible by links to the right of the text.

Analytic-Deliberative Process
E-book by the National Academies Press titled Understanding Risk: Informing Decisions in a Democratic Society provides a good summary (pages 6-8) on the structuring of an effective analytic-deliberative process for informing a risk decision.

State Government Resources

California Hazard Evaluation System & Information Service (HESIS)
Uses scientific, medical, and public health expertise to help prevent workplace illness and disease.
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) - Proposition 65
The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (better known by its original name of Proposition 65) requires the State to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
New Jersey Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
Over 1600 fact sheets, prepared on carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, corrosive, flammable, & reactive substances with information on health hazards, exposure limits, personal protective equipment, proper handling, first aid, and emergency procedures for fires and spills.
Texas Department of State Health Services - Office of Border Health
Facilitates a coordinated response to address public health concerns along the border.

International Agencies

EPA Resources

Environmental Protection Agency
EPA leads the nation's environmental science, research, education, and assessment efforts.
American Indian Tribal Portal: Environmental Programs
Tribal portal to assist tribes and the public in locating tribal related information within the EPA and other government agencies.
ECOTOX Database
Provides single chemical toxicity information for aquatic and terrestrial life.
Federal Register Environmental Documents
Search for Federal Register (FR) publications related to environmental protection.
OSHA-EPA Occupational Chemical Database
Compiles information from several government agencies and organizations, including database reports: Physical Properties, Exposure Guidelines, NIOSH Pocket Guide, and Emergency Response Information.
Radiation Protection
Provides information about EPA's radiation protection programs, including information about laws and regulations relating to EPA's radiation responsibilities.
Risk Assessment Portal
This site provides basic information about environmental risk assessments for the public.
Safe Drinking Water Program
The Drinking Water search captures data on public drinking water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
State Environmental Agency Listings
Site maintained by the EPA, providing links to websites for state environmental agencies.
Superfund Laws, Policies & Guidance
Provides links to the laws, policies & guidance that impact Superfund sites. Includes a link to a summary of Superfund sites.
Superfund Risk Assessment
Superfund risk assessments determine how threatening a hazardous waste site is to human health and the environment.

FDA Resources

Food & Drug Administration
Protects and advances the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms & Natural Toxins Handbook
Provides basic facts regarding foodborne pathogenic microorganisms & natural toxins.
National Center for Toxicological Research
Conducts peer-reviewed scientific research to understand the expression of toxicity of biological events and to improve the assessment of human exposure, susceptibility, and risk.

CDC Resources

U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
CDC is the nation's leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public's health.
ATSDR: ToxFAQS
ToxFAQs is a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology with information about exposure to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites and the effects of exposure on human health.
CDC: Injury Prevention & Control: Data & Statistics
An interactive, online collection of analysis tools for fatal, nonfatal, and cost-of-injury data.
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne & Environmental Diseases (DFWED)
Alphabetical DFBMD disease listing providing general and technical information as well as links to additional resources.
Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Reports
CDC's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations.
National Center for Environmental Health
The National Center for Environmental Health plans, directs, and coordinates a national program to maintain and improve the health of the American people by promoting a healthy environment and by preventing premature death, avoidable illness, and disability.
National Conversation on Public Health & Chemical Exposures
The goal of this initiative was to develop an Action Agenda with clear, achievable recommendations to help government agencies and other organizations strengthen their efforts to protect the public from harmful chemical exposures.
National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)
Responsible for managing issues related to the prevention of worker-related injuries and illnesses.
NIOSH Data & Statistics Gateway
Databases categorized by Chemical, Injury, Illness, and Hazards Data and Information; Publications; Respirators and Other Personal Protective Equipment; Agriculture; and Construction.
NIOSH Manual of Analytic Methods
A collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
A source of general industrial hygiene information..

U.S. & State Government Agencies

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Provides public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations on specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, and applied research in support of public health assessments.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
BLS collects, calculates, analyzes, and publishes data essential to the public, employers, researchers, and government organizations.
Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD)
CTD advances understanding of the effects of environmental chemicals on human health.
Consumer Product Information Database
Household products ingredients, properties, and manufacturer information, for Personal Care, Pesticides, Hobby/Craft, Home Maintenance, Home Office, Landscaping/Yard, Auto Products, & Pet Care. Does not contain any information about foods or pharmaceuticals.
Mine Safety and Health Administration (US Dept of Labor)
Enforces compliance with mandatory mine safety & health standards and promotes improved safety and health conditions in the Nation's mines.
National Toxicology Program (NTP)
Program within DHHS responsible for evaluating agents of public health concern by developing and applying tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA maintains an inspection database on this website that you can use to search for companies by name or by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code.
OSHA - Radiation
Safety and health information about radiation.
Science.gov
Provides access to millions of authoritative scientific research results from U.S. federal agencies.
U.S. Department of Energy Program Offices
Overview and links to U.S. Department of Energy Program Offices, including issues of environmental waste and radioactive nuclear waste.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) - Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
The federal safety authority for ensuring the safe transport of hazardous materials by air, rail, highway, and water.
U.S. Geological Survey
Searchable database for publications and resources of the U.S. Geological Survey.
U.S. Global Change Research Program
Coordinates Federal research and investments in understanding the forces shaping the global environment, both human and natural, and their impacts on society.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Regulates the commercial and institutional uses of nuclear energy.
USDA National Agricultural Library
Houses one of the world's largest collections devoted to agriculture.