EFDB Information

Environmental Fate Data Base (EFDB)
In November 1979, SRC initiated the development of the Environmental Fate Data Base (EFDB) under the sponsorship of the EPA. This computerized database, developed and maintained at SRC under the direction of Dr. Philip Howard, serves the following purposes:

1. To allow rapid access to all available fate data on a given chemical without having to resort to expensive, time consuming, and inefficient primary literature searches;
2. To identify critical gaps in the available information to facilitate planning of research needs; and
3. To provide a data source for constructing structure-activity correlations for degradability and transport of chemicals in the environment.

The EFDB is a tremendous aid in identifying persistent chemical classes, as well as physical or chemical properties that may correlate to particular behavior in the environment. The EFDB is comprised of several interrelated files, DATALOG, CHEMFATE, BIOLOG, and BIODEG. These databases share a CAS# file containing over 20,000 chemicals with preferred name and formula, and a bibliographic file containing full references on over 36,000 articles cited. Detailed descriptions of these databases are provided below. They are under constant expansion, and may be accessed on the EFDB webpage. Quarterly, snapshots of the databases are made available in an MS Windows version and on this web site. The Windows version allows output to be printed or saved to a file, and allows searching using an ASCII file containing a list of CAS #'s. Download a demo of the Windows PC software.

More information on the content, design and development of EFDB may be found in the following publications:

1. Howard PH, GW Sage, A Lamacchia, A Colb. 1982. The development of an environmental fate data base. J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 22:38-44.
2. Howard PH et al. 1986. BIOLOG, BIODEG, and FATE/EXPOS: New files on microbial degradation and toxicity as well as environmental fate/exposure of chemicals. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 5:977-988.
3. Howard PH, AE Hueber, RS Boethling. 1987. Biodegradation data evaluation for structure/biodegradability relations. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 6:1-10.
4. Rosenberg SA, AE Hueber, D Aronson, S Gouchie, PH Howard, W Meylan, JL Tunkel. 2003. Syracuse Research Corporation’s chemical information databases: extraction and compilation of data related to environmental fate and exposure. Science & Technol Libraries 23:73-87.

DATALOG
DATALOG is a bibliographic file indexed by Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) registry number that contains eighteen types of environmental fate data. Since individual articles require only cursory examination, no experimental values are entered into the file, and thus, large numbers of chemicals can be rapidly incorporated. This file is the largest in the EFDB, containing 380,000 records on over 16,800 chemicals. DATALOG indicates where environmental fate and exposure data can be found by using the following 18 different indexing terms:

• Adsorption
• Bioconcentration
• Biodegradation
• Dissociation constant
• Ecosystems
• Effluent concentrations
• Evaporation from water
• Field studies
• Food and crop concentrations Henry's Law constant
• Hydrolysis
• Monitoring
• Occupational concentrations
• Octanol/water partition coefficent
• Photooxidation
• UV spectra
• Vapor pressure
• Water solubility

The DATALOG search screen:

View a DATALOG printout for isopropylamine

Search DATALOG now

CHEMFATE
CHEMFATE is a data value file containing 25 categories of environmental fate and physical/chemical property information on commercially important chemical compounds. Actual experimental values (rate constants, experimental conditions, physical properties, etc.) are abstracted and retained in the file. CHEMFATE contains 17,260 records on 1,728 chemicals. Data in CHEMFATE have been QC’ed by senior scientists at SRC. For all records the QC process includes evaluation of the record to determine if the value makes sense scientifically (correct units, appropriate value given the chemical structure, etc). In addition, for approx. 10% of the records, a senior scientist checks the original source of the data. For p/chem properties, a single “recommended” value may be given. More information on selecting a reasonable range of values may be found in Boethling RS, PH Howard and W Meylan. 2004. Finding and estimating chemical property data for environmental assessment. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 23: 2290-3308.

View a CHEMFATE printout for isopropylamine

Search CHEMFATE now

BIOLOG
BIOLOG, or the Microbial Degradation/Toxicity File, provides sources of microbial toxicity and biodegradation data. It is is more detailed than DATALOG, but does not include experimental values. BIOLOG contains 70,000 records on 8,150 chemicals.

View a BIOLOG printout for isopropylamine

Search BIOLOG now

BIODEG
BIODEG contains experimental values as in CHEMFATE, but only relating to biodegradation subjects. In addition, BIODEG contains evaluation codes that can be used for structure/biodegradability correlations. This file contains over 5,800 records of actual experimental results on biodegradation studies for approximately 800 chemicals. Experimental details, such as chemical concentration and rate of degradation, are included. Data in BIODEG have been QC’ed by senior scientists at SRC.  For all records the QC process includes evaluation of the record to determine if the value makes sense scientifically (correct units, appropriate value given the chemical structure, etc). In addition, for approx. 10% of the records, a senior scientist checks the original source of the data. For many of the existing database entries EPA senior scientists have also participated in this review.

View a BIODEG printout for triphenyl phosphate

Search BIODEG now