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Databases
The main databases used within the OECD work on existing chemicals are eChemPortal, EXICHEM, the OECD list of High Production Volume Chemicals and the HPV Database.
eChemPortal will be a network of inter-linked databases, with one single point of access on the internet. The OECD initiated in 2004 the development of a global portal to information on chemical substances (eChemPortal), in response to the request by the World Summit on Sustainable Development to improve the availability of hazard data on chemicals.
The EXICHEM database is a pointer system on current, planned and completed activities on existing chemicals in OECD Member countries and other relevant bodies. It was created to provide information for the OECD Member countries on "who is doing what with which chemicals", (e.g. information gathering, testing, evaluation), in order to assist countries to identify opportunities for co-operation on specific activities on existing chemicals and to avoid duplication of work.
The OECD List of HPV Chemicals serves as the overall priority list from which chemicals are selected for SIDS data gathering and testing and initial hazard assessment. It is compiled by the Secretariat on the basis of regular submissions by Member countries reporting those industrial chemicals for which a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number had been assigned and which are produced or imported at levels greater than 1000 tonnes per year. The most recent OECD HPV Chemicals List is that compiled in 2004, which contains 4,843 substances and is based on submissions of nine national inventories and that of the European Union (PDF). The next List will be compiled in 2007.
The status of all HPV chemicals within the process of investigation in the OECD HPV Chemicals Programme is recorded in the HPV Database. It contains the list of all OECD HPV chemicals together with any annotations on each chemical which has been provided by Member countries to the Secretariat. Each chemical is identified as to exactly which stage it is at in the assessment process, and for those chemicals which have already been selected for sponsoring. Once the assessment of a chemical is finalised it shows the conclusions and recommendation of the assessment. A link to internet pages where completed assessments can be downloaded is also included.
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