Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121736

Jean Fruci, PhD, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, 2319 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202 226-0697, jean.fruci@mail.house.gov

A substantial amount of information on toxicology, health effects of exposure to toxins in the workplace, home or the environment, fate and transport of chemicals, and potential environmental effects of chemicals is provided to the government by manufacturers. This information is required to meet regulatory statutes such as the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. The studies provided by manufacturers are not usually available in the published literature and are often not publicly available through Freedom of Information Act requests because they are considered confidential business information.

A combination of factors conspire to limit information on these substances that is publicly available and unconnected to special interests. Among the factors that limit information are: limited outlets for publication and scientific advancement for these types of studies in the academic community, limited public funding, potentially controversial implications of these studies and their results, and increased influence of industry funding at universities on research.

Better assessment of the potential public health implications of exposure to chemicals and more timely regulatory action to remove harmful products from commerce requires the production of more information that is publicly available. Increases in public funding and a reshaping of research agendas to encourage this work should be considered.

Learning Objectives:

• Better understand the structure of federal programs that obtain, analyze, and fund public health and environmental information to support regulations to protect public health and the environment.
• Better understand the factors that influence the development of research agendas and information on toxicology, environmental and occupational health, and fate and transport of chemicals.
• Better understand how public health and environmental information is used to develop policy and regulation of substances that effect public health and the environment.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.