title: Exponential growth of new chemicals and evolution of information relevant to risk control.
abstract: The number of new chemicals synthesized and marketed increases exponentially. The database CAS REGISTRY at present contains more than 33 million organic and inorganic substances. However, the little information regarding the potential hazard associated with a large amount of chemicals is an old known problem in the European Union and also in the United States. This critical problem may find a solution in the collaboration of the different involved countries and in a planned task setting at international level. Both in the United States (e.g., the "Gore Initiative") and in European Union (the REACH policy) a big effort has been dedicated to this solution, within standardized procedures and an appropriate collaboration.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. roberto.binetti@iss.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Binetti
authors.forename: Francesca Marina
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Costamagna
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marcello
mesh_terms: D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005062:European Union; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D007391:International Cooperation; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D009930:Organic Chemicals