Where can I find information about a substance's toxicity?

Search for the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the substance in question. The MSDS provides more detailed health and toxicological information than is printed on container labels. There are many sites that serve MSDS databases for free on the Web. A few of the best are listed below.

HazDat Database (Center for Disease Control)

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Center for disease control provides a searchable and browseable database of hazardous substances. Each entry includes a Chime molecular structure of the toxin, an NFPA label, health effects, information about medical tests for exposure, and links to relevant Material Safety Data Sheet and Chemfinder resources.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html (4/29/98)

Material Safety Data Sheets (Vermont SIRI)
Search engine for MSDS which allows you to enter the name of a substance and retrieve its material safety data sheet. Also includes links to other chemical and toxicological databases.
http://siri.uvm.edu/msds/

Top 20 Hazardous Substances (Center for Disease Control)
Arsenic, lead, and mercury are chemical public enemies 1, 2, and 3, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at the Center for Disease Control. ATSDR's annual ranking of toxins includes descriptions for each substance, possible means of exposure, health effects by level of exposure, and EPA recommendations.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/cxcx3.html (11/19/99)

Where to find MSDS on the Internet (University of Kentucky)
This is a well-maintained and comprehensive list of free Material Safety Data Sheets on the Web. It includes frequently asked questions about MSDS, a seven part MSDS tutorial/quiz, and information about reading, writing, and using MSDS.
HTTP://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.chtml (2/13/98, 4/2/99)

Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu

General Chemistry Online! Where can I find information about a substance's toxicity?