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Interaction Profiles for Toxic Substances


About the Interaction Profiles

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) mandates that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) shall assess whether adequate information on health effects is available for the priority hazardous substances. Where such information is not available or under development, ATSDR shall, in cooperation with the National Toxicology Program, initiate a program of research to determine these health effects. The Act further directs that where feasible, ATSDR shall develop methods to determine the health effects of substances in combination with other substances with which they are commonly found.

To carry out these legislative mandates, ATSDR’s Division of Toxicology (DT) has developed a chemical mixtures program. As part of the mixtures program, ATSDR developed a guidance manual that outlines the latest methods for mixtures assessment. In addition, a series of documents called Interaction Profiles are being developed for certain priority mixtures that are of special concern to ATSDR. The purpose of the Interaction Profile is to evaluate data on the toxicology of the 'whole' priority mixture (if available) and on the joint toxic action of the chemcials in the mixture in order to recommend approaches for the exposure-based assessment of the potential hazard to public health.

How the Interaction Profiles are developed

  1. DRAFTS: The interaction profiles are first produced as drafts. ATSDR announces in the Federal Register the release of these draft profiles for a 90-day public comment period. For more information about the public comment process, see below.
  2. FINALS: After the 90-day comment period, ATSDR considers incorporating all comments into the final profile.

Interaction Manual Information

The ATSDR Interaction Profile succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances. Each peer-reviewed profile identifies and reviews the key literature that describes toxicologic properties of the featured mixtures. Other pertinent literature is also presented, but is described in less detail than the key studies. The complete list of topics covered (chapter titles) is shown on each individual Interaction Profile page.

Interaction Profile Access

In order to access the ATSDR interaction profiles' PDF files , you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.

You may download that program for free from this link to Adobe Exiting the ATSDR Web Site. and then use it to access (open) the files that are labeled as PDF files.

Public Comment period

Although key studies for each of the 'Draft' Interaction Profiles were considered during the profile development process, ATSDR solicited additional studies and comments, which were evaluated for possible addition to the 'Final' Profiles.

Check the individual interaction profile Web pages listed below for the exact dates that apply to that specific profile.

Send one copy of all written comments and three copies of all supporting documents by the end of the comment period to

Hana Pohl
Division of Toxicology (DT),
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333

Contact ATSDR

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO • 888-232-6348 (TTY) 
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Final Interaction Profiles

Draft Interaction Profiles

Guidance Document

Guidance Manual Information

The Guidance Manual for the Assessment of Joint Toxic Action of Chemical Mixtures is intended to assist environmental health scientists and toxicologists in determining whether exposure to chemical mixtures at hazardous waste sites may impact public health. It serves a basis for interaction profiles, as the basis for health assessments and health consultations. The systematic method outlined in the Guidance Manual integrates ATSDR’s interaction profiles, toxicological profiles, and research on chemical mixtures into a practical screening approach for potential health hazards. The conclusions from this exposure-based screening assessment of mixture hazard can then be taken into account along with biomedical judgment, the community-specific health outcome data, and community health concerns, to determine the public health implications and follow-up activities for a hazardous waste site. The complete list of topics covered (chapter titles) is shown on the Guidance Manual Information page.

Interaction Profile Guidance


This page was updated on 12/14/2007