Going Green with the NLM: Environmental Health and Toxicology Information

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Going Green with the NLM Environmental Health
and Toxicology Information

• Michelle Eberle
• Consumer Health Information Coordinator
• NN/LM New England Region

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http//nnlm.gov/ner/
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What is the NLM?

• National Library of Medicine
• Part of the National Institutes of Health
• The worlds largest biomedical library
• Creator of PubMed.gov, MedlinePlus.gov and many
  other useful health information resources!!!

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2007

• According to TIME writer, Bryan Walsh, 2007 will
  be remembered as the tipping point when public
  understanding of the existential threat of
  climate change reached critical mass.

Source Antonelli, Monika. The Green Library
Movement An Overview and Beyond. Electronic
Green Journal. 1(27) 2008.
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What is a good starting point for someone
interested in learning more about environmental
health?
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http//medlineplus.gov
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What will I find on MedlinePlus for environmental
health?

• RadTown USA, EPA
• Choosing Where You Live, EPA
• Clinical Trials.gov Environmental Health
• National Childrens Study NIEHS, CDC, NICHHD
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
  Glossary of Terms
• Toxic Release Inventory, EPA
• For Kids
• FISH Kids, EPA
• TOXMYSTERY, NLM
• Your Babys Environment, March of Dimes

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http//www.nlm.nih.gov
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Environmental Health Toxicology Portal
http//sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html
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Where can kids learn about environmental health?
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http//toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/
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http//toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/
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Helping Kids Be Eco-Friendly

• Recycling
• Composting
• Grow vegetables at home instead of going to the
  store
• Use everyday household cleaners vinegar, baking
  soda
• Turn off the lights

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Helping Kids Be Eco-Friendly

• Have a stop a leak day at home
• Give away used toys to charity instead of
  throwing them away
• Plan outdoor activities to help instill
  appreciation for the earth
• Clean up a stream or park
• Adopt an endangered animal at the local zoo or
  other charity

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5 easy steps for a cleaner, greener home

• 1)Manage pests safely
• 2) Use nontoxic products
• 3) Clean up indoor air
• 4) Shop smart
• 5) Be wise with plastics
• Resource Gavigan, Christopher. Healthy Child,
  Healthy World, Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer
  Home, 2008.

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Where can teens learn about environmental health?
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ToxTown

• Provides an interactive guide to the toxic
  chemicals and environmental health risks
  associated with everyday life
• Uses colors, graphics, sounds and animation to
  create a user-friendly learning experience for a
  wide range of audiences

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ToxTown Content

• ToxTown provides information on
• Everyday locations where toxic chemicals might be
  found
• Non-technical descriptions of chemicals
• Human health impacts of chemical exposures
• Links to chemical information and environmental
  health topics on the Internet

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ToxTown Organization

• ToxTown contains both location and chemical links
• Each neighborhood has mulitple buildings and
  settings, including interior views of some
  buildings
• Toxic chemicals and health effects associated
  with specific locations are presented
• Chemicals are described in non-technical language
  and linked to further sources of information
  about health effects.

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http//toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
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Richard Scarrys Great Big Air Book
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Tox Town in Spanish
http//toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/
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http//toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
Search by Location
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Link from Tox Town to CDC Lead Poisoning
Prevention
http//www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/
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Link from Tox Town to EPA Clean School Bus USA
http//www.epa.gov/otaq/schoolbus/
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Green living in your community

• Recycle
• Reduce
• Reuse

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How can college students learn more about
environmental health?
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Toxicology Tutorials

• Toxicology Tutorial 1 Basic Principles
• Toxicology Tutorial 2 Toxicokinetics
• Includes chapters on
• absorption
• distribution
• biotransformation
• excretion
• Toxicology Tutorial 3 Cellular Toxicology

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Where can I learn about health effects of
products I might use at home?
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http//hpd.nlm.nih.gov/
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HPD can help answer

• What chemicals are contained in specific brands
  and in what percentage?
• Which products contain specified chemicals?
• Who manufactures a specific brand? How can I
  contact the manufactures?
• What are the potential health effects of the
  chemical ingredients in a specific brand?
• What other information is available about such
  chemicals in the toxicology-related databases of
  the National Library of Medicine?

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Product information

• Brand information
• Manufacturers Information
• Health Effects from MSDS / Label
• Warning from Label
• First Aid
• Acute Health Effects
• Chronic Health Effects
• Carcinogenicity
• Hazardous Material Information System Raging
• Handling/ Disposal
• Ingredient from MSDS / Label

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Lysol Brand Disinfectant Cling Toilet Bowl
Cleaner, Country Scent
http//hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tb
lbrandsid18001147
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Green cleaning

• The non toxic trio
• Baking soda
• Castile soap
• White vinegar
• Source Gavigan, Christopher, Healthy Child
  Healthy World, Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer
  Home, 2008.

• Other agents
• Lemon
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Essential oils

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How green is my job?
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http//hazmap.nlm.nih.gov
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Haz-Map

• Relational database containing occupational
  toxicology information
• Includes information on chemicals, jobs, job
  tasks and diseases
• Classifications based on standard industry,
  occupational and medical classification systems

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HazMap contents

• Agents chemical and biological agents
  associated with industrial processes, activities
  and diseases
• Diseases occupational diseases associated with
  hazardous job tasks and agents
• Jobs related tasks that could result in exposure
  to chemical or biological agents

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Where can I learn about the environment where I
live?
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TOXMAP

• Helps users create national, regional or local
  maps showing where TRI chemicals are released
  into the air, water or land
• Identifies facilities releasing chemical, color
  codes releases each year and provides multiyear
  release data since 1987.
• Links to the latest US Census data
• Links to ATSDR ToxFAQs, public health statements,
  NLMs HSDB and TOXLINE

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About TRI Toxic Release Inventory

• Data on 650 chemicals released into the
  environment or transferred to waste sites by
  facilities in the US
• Facility Identifications
• Substance Identification (chemical name, CAS RN,
  uses, etc)
• Environmental Release of Chemical (in air, water,
  land, underground injections)
• Waste treatment
• Off site waste transfer
• Source reduction and recycling (quantity
  released, energy recovered, quantity recycled,
  quantity treated)

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About ATSDRAgency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry

• Federal public health agency of the US Dept Heath
  and Human Services and Center for Disease Control
• Serves the public by using the best science,
  taking responsive public health actions and
  providing trusted health information to prevent
  harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic
  substances

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Search by Chemical
Search by Address
http//toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/
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Toxic Releases for Worcester, MA
http//toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp
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http//toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp
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http//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/
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TOXNEThttp//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/

• Cluster of databases that cover
• Toxicology
• Environmental and occupational health
• Hazardous chemicals
• Releases of toxic chemicals
• Chemical names, synonyms structures
• References to scientific literature

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TOXNET databases covered today

• ChemIDPlus
• HSDB
• TOXLINE
• LactMed

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ChemIDPlushttp//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov

• Chemical Dictionary
• Directory for chemicals cited in NLM databases
• Over 370,000 chemical records
• Names, synonyms and structures
• Direct link / searches of MEDLINE, TOXNET, and
  non-NLM resources

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Hazardous Substances Data Bankhttp//toxnet.nlm.n
ih.gov

• Online handbook with comprehensive toxicology
  information
• Over 5000 chemicals
• Peer reviewed by the Scientific Review Panel
• Fully referenced
• Content is primarily from books, government
  documents, technical reports, primary literature
  and databases

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HSDBhttp//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov

• Human health effects
• Emergency medical treatment
• Animal toxicity studies
• Metabolism/ pharmacology
• Environmental fate/exposure
• Environmental standards and regulations

• Chemical/Physical Properties
• Chemical Safety Handling
• Occupational Exposure Standards
• Manufacturing and Use Pharmacokinetics
• Laboratory Methods
• Special References
• Synonyms and Identifiers

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HSDB
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TOXLINEhttp//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov

• TOXicology Literature OnLINE
• Over 3 million citations published since 1965
• Pharmacological, biochemical, physicological,
  environmental, and toxicological effects of
  chemicals/other agents on living systems
• Citations, abstracts, keywords, and or MeSH
• CAS Registry Numbers
• Multiple sources contribute citations

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What is a CAS registry number?

• Unique numerical identifiers for chemical
  elements, compounds, polymers, biological
  sequences, mixtures and alloys
• Chemical Abstracts Services of the American
  Chemical Society assigns these numbers as many
  chemical have different names
• Effort to help make searching the literature
  easier.

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LactMed

• http//toxnet.nlm.nih.gov
• Free online database with information on drugs
  and lactation
• Over 500 drugs
• Data mined from scientific literarue
• Fully referenced
• Links to PubMed citations
• Breast feeding links

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LactMed
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TOXSEEK

• Metasearch engine
• http//toxseek.nlm.nih.gov
• Searches a core set of environmental health and
  toxicology resources
• Choose by category or all resources
• NLM resources
• NIH resources
• US Gov., International, Societies, News

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NLMs Public Health Web Portal PHPartners.org
http//phpartners.org
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PHPartners Environmental Health http//phpartners
.org/environmentalhealth.html
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Stay up to date on environmental
health http//medlineplus.gov
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Stay up to date!http//sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/env
irolistserv.html
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25 ways to go green

• Clean kindly
• Be wise with laundry
• Choose natural personal care and products
• Go for recycled toilet paper, paper towels and
  tissues
• Use unbleached coffee filters
• Source Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. The
  Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices
  for You and Your Home. New York Rodale, 2008.

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25 ways to go green

• 6. Install a water filter
• 7. Get a low flow toilet or make your existing
  toilet low flow
• 8. Dont be a drip fix leaky faucets and
  toilets
• 9. Kick off your shoes
• Bring in houseplants
• Source Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. The
  Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices
  for You and Your Home. New York Rodale, 2008.

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25 ways to go green

• 11. Plant a tree every year.
• 12. Opt out of getting junk mail.
• 13. Go veggie one day a week.
• 14. Energy efficient light bulbs save energy,
  money and emissions.
• 15. Turn the thermostat down 2 degrees F.
• Source Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living.
• The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly
  Choices for You and Your Home. New York
  Rodale, 2008.

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25 ways to go green

• 16. Set your water heater at 120 degrees F.
• 17. Smarten your fridge and freezer. Turn their
  thermostats up and make sure seals are tight.
• 18. Use power strips and unplug appliances.
• 19. Choose green residential services.
• 20. Buy local
• Source Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. The
  Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices
  for You and Your Home. New York Rodale, 2008.

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25 ways to go green

• 21. Go organic
• 22. Take a cloth bag to the store
• 23. Inflate your tires to the proper pressure to
  save gas and money
• 24. Get a travel mug!
• 25. Recycle your cell phone.
• Source Loux, Renee. Easy Green Living. The
  Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices
  for You and Your Home. New York Rodale, 2008.

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Green Library Resources and Blogs

• http//www.greenlibraries.org
• http//thegreenlibraryblog.blogspot.com/
• http//greeningyourlibrary.wordpress.com/
• Antonelli, Monika. The Green Library Movement
  An Overview and Beyond. Electronic Green
  Journal. 1(27). 2008.

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How are libraries going green?

• MIT Hayden Library
• roof top solar panels
• San Joses Public Library
• natural day lighting and chemical
• free fabrics to enhance indoor air quality
• Seattle Public Library
• rainwater irrigation tanks that irrigate trees
  and provide natural heat reduction
• UMASS Medical School Library
• Eco Team, natural cleaners, Earth Day, plants,
  techno trash recycling

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How are libraries going green?

• Clark County Public Library, Kentucky
• Growing and saving heirloom seeds
• Serving as a link between agricultural resources
  and community, programming
• Richmond Main Library, CA
• Community Garden
• Berkeley Public Library
• Tool lending library, from cement mixer to lawn
  mower
• Goshen Public Library, New York
• Summer 2008, adult summer reading program focused
  on environmental health issues, Change your
  world _at_ your library

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Top 10 tips to go green _at_ your library

• Start small
• Form a green library committee
• Link going green to saving energy costs to earn
  administrative support
• Recycle books (Better World Books)
• Turn down the heat 1 or 2 degrees
• Use energy efficient lighting and automatic
  timers and/or collect batteries and CFL bulbs for
  recycling

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Top 10 tips to go green _at_ your library

• 6. Encourage telecommuting if possible
• 7. Encourage people to turn off lights when a
  room is not in use
• 8. Encourage people to bring mugs rather than
  disposable cups
• 9. Clean green
• 10. Start a library community garden or have
  more houseplants

Sources Foreword Magazine Libraries go
green http//tinyurl.com/librariesgogreen The
Green Library Blog - 100 Ways to Make Your
Library a Little Greener http//tinyurl.com/p24bom
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How is your library going green?
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Questions?
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Take home points

• Take advantage of
• the suite of free online environmental health
  resources available to you through the National
  Library of Medicine
• your regions NN/LM for further training and
  funding

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Reflection

• Think of
• one step you can take for yourself and your
  family to protect your environmental health.
• one step you can take at your library to go green
  and support the global environment.

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Thank you!!

• Michelle Eberle
• Consumer Health Information
• Coordinator
• NN/LM New England Region
• michelle.eberle_at_umassmed.edu
• [phone] / [phone]
• Presentation also authored by Gail Kouame,
  NN/LM-PNR
• Hathy Simpson, NN/LM-NER