Chapter 2: Collect and Use Information on Chemicals and
Population Health to Enable Effective Public Health Protection
Public Health Problem   The prevention and control of adverse
health outcomes related to chemical exposures requires the
ongoing collection, integration, analysis, and interpretation of
data about chemicals, including their sources, uses, associated
exposures, and potential health outcomes. Although many federal,
tribal, state, and local entities collect, analyze, and
interpret data on the presence and uses of chemicals in the
United States, the nation’s knowledge can best be characterized
as partial, uneven, and minimally integrated. To protect public
health, the nation requires enhanced information collection in
at least four key areas: chemical use and release, environmental
concentrations, levels in humans and other species, and health
outcomes.   Obtaining sufficient data on chemical use, release,
and exposure is difficult. Understanding cumulative exposures is
particularly challenging,