New database contains scientific papers published both nationally and internationally on the toxic effects of chemicals to aquatic organisms and plants
FIZ Karlsruhe, European partner of STN International, one of the world's leading online providers of scientific and technical information, has announced the launch of the Aquire database. Aquire contains scientific papers published both nationally and internationally on the toxic effects of chemicals to aquatic organisms and plants.
Recently, ecotoxicology data has become more important to those trying to improve and enhance the process by which ecological and human health hazard assessments are performed.
This has resulted in a range of activity from the hazard evaluation of new and existing chemicals and pesticides to the evaluation of impact assessments associated with effluent, leachate, and environmental monitoring data.
Aquire covers toxic effect data, including lethal, sublethal, and residue effects, on all aquatic species including plants and animals and freshwater and saltwater species.
Amphibians are included in Aquire, with the life stages that exist exclusively in the water, eg, tadpole. Species that are associated with the water but do not have gills, such as ducks and geese, as well as bacteria and virus, are not covered in Aquire.
The database contains 214,470 records from 1915-2001.
Most of the records, however, are from 1970 on.
Over 4000 species and 7000 chemicals are covered.
Priority is given to data published in the peer-reviewed literature.
Theses, government reports, journal articles, unpublished reports and other grey literature are also included.
Independently compiled laboratory data files that include Aquire parameters and meet the quality assurance criteria are also contained.
Toxicity test results and related testing information for any individual chemical from laboratory and field aquatic toxicity tests are extracted and added to Aquire.
Producer of the database is the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).
Records contain the organism name, water type, test location, test results, reference and reference source information, chemical names, and CAS Registry Numbers.
Aquire is reloaded periodically.
