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 this legislative mandate, ATSDR’s Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences (DTHHS) 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 chemicals 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 Profile Information

The ATSDR Interaction Profile succinctly 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 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.


Interaction Profile Guidance


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