Toxicological Evaluations: Potential Health Hazards of Existing Chemicals

As part of its "Programme for the prevention of health hazards cau­ sed by industrial substances", the Berufsgenossenschaft der chemi­ schen Industrie (BG Chemie, Employment Accident Insurance Fund of the Chemical Industry) began in 1977 to investigate the toxicity of those chemicals which are widely used, have many different applications and are suspected of being dangerous to health, in par­ ticular of having long-term effects. The investigations consist of a literature search and - depending on the results - commissions of experimental studies. It is hoped by means of this testing to dose gaps in our knowledge and to increase the scientific validity of the required risk assessments. The results of the toxicological investiga­ tions carried out by BG Chemie, and the resulting substance asses­ sments have been published in German since 1987 in the form of 189 "Toxikologische Bewertungen" ("Toxicological Evaluations") up to now. In order to make this useful information internationally available, BG Chemie began in October 1990 to publish them as a book series in English, of which the tenth volume (containing 11 indivi­ dual evaluations) is presented here. Therefore for 139 existing che­ micals, "Toxicological Evaluations" are available in English at the moment, a further 54 are in preparation and will be published soon.