TOXNET HELP TEXT - TRI

Contents

SEARCH SCREEN

• Entering a Search Query
• Chemical Name or CAS Registry Number
• Synonym Searching
• TRI File Year Selection
• Facility Names
• Facility Locations
• Greater Than
• Browse the Index
• Databases
• Other NLM Resources/Support Pages

SEARCH RESULTS

• About Your Search Results
• Calculate Release!
• Save Checked Items
• Sort
• Details
• Download
• Modify Search
• New Search
• Browse Index
• TOXNET Home
• Page Navigation

SELECTED RECORD SCREEN

• About the Selected Record Screen
• Next Item
• Previous item
• Search Results
• New Search
• Details
• Other Files
• Modify Search
• Download
• Browse Index
• TOXNET Home

TRI CONTENT AND FIELD NAMES

RECOMMENDED BROWSERS

SEARCH SCREEN

Entering a Search Query � Complete information as appropriate in one or more of the query boxes described below, and use checkboxes, radio buttons, and drop-down menus as necessary.� The search will be initiated when you click the �Search� button.� To erase your search terms and start over with a blank box, click on the �Clear� button.

Chemical Name or CAS Registry Number� Enter the name(s) or Chemical Abstracts Services Registry Number(s) of the chemical(s) you are searching for, e.g., ammonia, mercury, 50-00-0.

Synonym Searching - If your query consists of chemicals, TOXNET will, by default (i.e., the radio button �Yes� is selected) expand your search by adding synonyms and CAS Registry Numbers.� Thus, if you enter �perchloroethylene,� the system will add the RN 127-18-4 and synonyms such as tetrachloroethylene and tetrachloroethene.� You have the option to turn off this feature by marking the button �No.�� This will result in a search only for the exact word(s) you entered.� In the example above, the system would look only for the word �perchloroethylene.��

TRI File Year Selection � Check one or more of these boxes to select the year(s) of TRI you want to search.� The first choice (also the default) is the most recent file year available.� This is followed by preceding years.� Note � earlier years of TRI, dating back to 1987, are not available through TOXNET.� For more information, visit EPA�s Web site at http://www.epa.gov/tri.

Facility Names� Enter the name of the TRI reporting facility, e.g., Goodyear.� Click on the Browse Index box if in doubt of the facility name�s format.� Multiple facilities may be entered and separated by commas.

Facility Location� Select the radio button for the state, city/state, county/state, or zip code of the facility and enter the location.

Greater Than � Use the drop-down menus here if you are searching for a release greater than a certain number of pounds to the air, water, soil, underground injection, or as a total.� The default selection � i.e., 0 lbs, No Release Selected � will not limit the search by release amount and will retrieve records of 0 and greater releases.

Browse the Index

This feature displays a segment of the TRI index beginning with the term you enter and lets you scan the index alphabetically (or numerically) above or below the original display by clicking on the �UP� or �DOWN� button.� The number of TRI records containing each of the terms is displayed.� By checking boxes next to the index terms of interest and clicking on the �Check to Select� button, you can search on these terms.� You may browse the index to all words, CAS Registry Numbers, chemical names, facility names, or facility cities.

Databases (The Left Column of the Screen)

Clicking on any of the cells in this column will take you directly to the search screen for the database listed.� �Multi-databases� offers simultaneous searching of HSDB, CCRIS, IRIS, and GENE-TOX.� The information icon (�i�) next to each database provides a brief description of it, with links to a more detailed Fact Sheet and a sample record.�

Other NLM Resources, Support Pages (The Right Column of the Screen)

You may also visit additional NLM Web-Based Resources:

����������� DIRLINE �� Directory andof health and scientific organizations.

����������� Tox Web Links � Links to additional toxicology web sites.

����������� MEDLINEplus Tox/Env Health � Consumer health information on toxicology and environmental

����������� Hhealth topics.

����������� PubMed � Access to the MEDLINE database of biomedical literature.

����������� NLM Gateway �� Searches across multiple NLM databases.

����������� Locatorplus � NLM�s online catalog of books, audiovisuals, and journals.

Or Support Pages:

Help � Detailed documentation, such as what you are now reading, about searching TOXNET.

����������� Fact Sheet - For an expanded description of TRI.

����������� Sample Record � A look at a sample TRI record.

SEARCH RESULTS

About Your Search Results

Your initial retrieval is displayed as a list of abbreviated records consisting of� TRI database year, facility name, (underlined and in blue and hot-linked), chemical name, and city and state where the facility is located.� The order of the display is based upon a Relevancy Ranking algorithm.

By checking one or more of the numbered boxes to the left of each record, you can perform later operations (e.g., saving, downloading) on these selections.�

Click on any of the retrieved records to view all or portions of the record.

Calculate Release! � Itemizes and sums up the total air, water, soil, and underground injection releases as well as transfers to publicly owned treatment works and other off-site locations in tabular form.

Save Checked Items � This is used to create a subset of your search results. First check the records you want to save.� Then click �Save Checked Items.�� The system confirms the number of items you saved and lets you display just these references by clicking on a new button which is added to the sidebar � �Display Saved Items.�

Sort � Sort all or some of the records alphabetically (ascending or descending) by substance name, facility name, city, or state.

Details � Summarizes the strategy used by TOXNET to perform your search.� This will include your query terms plus any registry numbers added by the system.

Download � You can download all or some of the records in �brief� or �full� formats.

Modify Search � Returns you to the Basic sSearch screen with your search strategy retained.� You can make changes or perform a new search at this point.

New Search � Return to the Basic Search screen with the search box cleared so that you can enter a new search.

Browse Index � This feature displays a segment of the TRI index beginning with the term you enter and lets you scan the index alphabetically (or numerically) above or below the original display by clicking on the �UP� or �DOWN� button.� The number of TRI records containing each of the terms is displayed.� By checking boxes next to the index terms of interest and clicking on the �Check to Select� button, you can search on these terms.� You may browse the index to all words, CAS Registry Numbers, chemical names, facility names, or facility cities.

TOXNET Home � Return to the TOXNET Home Page.

Page Navigation

The top and bottom of each Search Results page displays the total number of pages, the current page number, the total number of items, and the items displayed on the current page. You can navigate through multi-page search results by specifying a page number and pushing the �Go� button, or using the small blue arrows to go forwards and backwards.� These navigation features appear at the top and bottom of each page of search results.

SELECTED RECORD SCREEN

About the Selected Record Screen

This screen displays the record for whichever item you selected on the Results Screen.� From the Table of Contents, you can select to view the entire TRI record or portions thereof (by expanding and contracting categories, and checking categories and/or fields).

The search term(s) you entered will be highlighted in red wherever they appear in the text of the selected record.

Across the top of the screen is a header of buttons with more options:

Next Item � Move forward for a display of the next item (if there is one) in your search retrieval or saved items set.

Previous Item � Move backward for a display of the previous item (if there is one) in your search retrieval or saved items set.

Search Results � Return to the Search Results display.

New Search � Return to the Basic Search screen with the search box cleared so that you can enter a new search.

Details � Displays a summary of the strategy you specified for your search and synonyms added by the system.

Other Files � Link directly to records in other TOXNET toxicology data or bibliographic files (e.g., CCRIS, IRIS, GENE-TOXLINE) containing information on your selected chemical.�

Modify Search � Return to the Basic Search screen with your search strategy retained.� You can make changes or perform a new search at this point.

Download � You can download the record in full format.

Browse Index - Displays a segment of the TRI index beginning with the term you enter and lets you scan the index alphabetically (or numerically) above or below the original display by clicking on the �UP� or �DOWN� button.� The number of TRI records containing each of the terms is displayed.� By checking boxes next to the index terms of interest and clicking on the �Check to Select� button, you can search on these terms.� You may browse the index to all words, CAS Registry Numbers,� chemical names, facility names, or facility cities.

TOXNET Home � Return to the TOXNET Home Page.

TRI CONTENT AND FIELD NAMES

TRI contains data on the estimated annual releases of toxic chemicals to the environment � air, water, soil, underground injection; amounts transferred off-site for waste treatment; and source reduction and recycling data.� Specific data fields are listed below:

RECOMMENDED BROWSERS

TOXNET is best viewed with Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape 4.0 or higher versions, for either PC or Mac.