A database designed to support dose-response analysis and risk assessment

Abstract

Risk assessment for various human exposures depends on evaluation of existing toxicological literature from a variety of sources. Risk assessors may have limited resources for obtaining raw data, performing additional analyses and initiating new laboratory or epidemiological studies. These constraints must be balanced against a need to improve scientific credibility by developing improved statistical and analytical methods that optimize the use of the available information. A database is described that was designed specifically to support emerging analytical approaches for dose-response assessment, while accommodating the diverse nature of published literature. The database allows entry of exposure and response information in a relational multi-table design, with closely controlled standard fields for recording values and free-text fields for describing unique aspects of a study. To include data needed for current as well as proposed methods, multiple fields were created for different data types and for exposure characterization. The database structure allows rapid access to, and versatile use of, toxicological data for dose-response analyses.