Research Infrastructure and Operations Supporting the National Toxicology Program (NTP)

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The primary goal of this project is to support hazard assessment activities under NTP targeted toward the prevention of diseases or adverse effects caused by exposure to environmental substances including both chemical and physical agents. This project includes interagency coordination of NTP activities and research teams, the curation and management of data from these studies, support for report/monograph preparation and external peer review, provision of public access to data via the NTP website and Chemical Effects in Biological Systems database, management of NTP advisory groups, communication with stakeholders and the public, and dissemination of NTP knowledge products as reports, monographs, and journal publications. NTPs projects evaluate environmental substances that may pose human health safety issues for a variety of health-related effects such as general toxicity, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and effects on reproduction, development, and the immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Approaches for evaluation vary and include human exposure assessments, toxicological studies in experimental in vivo and in vitro models, systematic review-based literature analyses, and evidence integration. Information about NTP projects including the types of studies employed and research products, can be found on the NTP website at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov. Current areas of study in this fiscal year include 6PPD-quinone, alpha-pinene, fluoride, fungal exposures, sulfolane, triclosan, multiwalled nanomaterials, bisphenols, sunscreen components, botanical dietary supplements including black cohosh, PFAS, phthalates,and halogenated flame retardants. This project also supports preparation of the Report on Carcinogens (ROC) (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc15), a congressionally mandated, scientific, and public health document that identifies substances that pose a cancer hazard for people in the United States. It is intended to help people make informed decisions about their health. The NIEHS prepares the ROC for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ongoing human cancer hazard evaluations for inclusion in the 16th ROC include evaluations of halogenated flame retardants, para-chlorotrifluoritoluene, nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and woodsmoke and wildfires. A new interactive tool [https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/page/public-health-and-economic-influence-roc] demonstrates the Report on Carcinogens’ impact on public health policies.