Impact of the World Wide Web on the availability of information from National Toxicology Program databases

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is recognized as a world leader in designing, conducting, and interpreting various types of assays for toxicity. Through its activities, the NTP provides, directly or indirectly, a large component of the basic scientific data that other federal and state scientific and regulatory agencies as well as private sector and foreign organizations use in responding to issues relevant to the effects of chemical substances on human health and the environment. A description of the various types of test data from toxicity studies collected by the Program is provided in this overview. Despite this large variety of data collected, until recently only the Carcinogenesis and Toxicology two-year rodent peer-reviewed reports were routinely made available. However, the World Wide Web has dramatically expanded the capabilities of the NTP to disseminate scientific and other types of information. The NTP established a website and began offering Program material via this medium in 1995. Since that time growth in World Wide Web activity has increased the use of electronic distribution of important NTP information and decreased the use of paper as a medium for dissemination. Increased emphasis continues on ensuring broader dissemination of the results of NTP research and testing; broader solicitation of nominations for chemicals and chemical issues for toxicological evaluation and listing/delisting in the Report on Carcinogens; and broader communication of evolving programs and priorities. Updates are regularly posted on the NTP World Wide Web site: http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov.