Chemicals and Toxics Resources
Using sound science as a compass, EPA’s mission is to protect you, your family, and the environment from potential risks from toxic chemicals. Through innovative partnerships and collaboration, we also work to prevent pollution before it begins.
Back to Learn About Chemicals and Toxics.
On this page:
Common Chemicals
Get information on commonly asked about chemical substances, and learn how EPA manages their risks.
- Air Toxics: Toxic air pollutants, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are those pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects.
- Asbestos
- Common Superfund Chemicals: Fact sheets for the most common chemicals found at hazardous waste sites.
- Drinking Water Contaminants:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
EPA and Chemicals
Learn how EPA regulates chemicals, and how it finds ways to prevent or reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that enter the environment.
What You Can Do
Take action to reduce toxics substances in your communities and your homes.
- Finding Public Information on Chemicals
- Learn about Your Right to Know: Every American has the right to know the chemicals to which they may be exposed in their daily living.
- Community Assistance: Information and tools to help you understand and assess environmental data and protect your community's environment
- Design for the Environment:The U.S. EPA's Design for the Environment program helps consumers, businesses, and institutional buyers identify cleaning and other products that perform well, are cost-effective, and are safer for the environment.
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for Communities: Learn how to interpret and use this data to help reduce pollution where you live.