For all the talk about “chemical transparency” in the United States, very few tools actually let you see what’s behind the curtain. The CompTox Chemicals Dashboard changes that. Built and maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this platform consolidates chemistry, toxicity, exposure, and bioactivity data for over one million chemical substances—and it’s one of the most data-rich public tools the agency has ever released.
Whether you’re a researcher tracing PFAS degradation pathways, a journalist verifying hazard classifications, or a regulatory analyst evaluating screening-level risks, the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard provides enough detail to anchor real decisions, not just theoretical speculation.
This article walks through how the dashboard works, why it matters, and how to use its most advanced features — illustrated with specific examples and grounded in EPA’s published documentation.
What Is the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard?
The EPA’s public chemical dashboard is a publicly accessible web database developed by the EPA’s Office of Research and Development to centralize chemical information across multiple scientific domains.
According to EPA’s official materials, the dashboard aggregates:
- Chemical structures
- Experimental physicochemical properties
- Predicted properties generated by computational models
- Environmental fate data
- Hazard and bioassay results
- Exposure predictions
- Toxicokinetic and IVIVE models
- Links to external regulatory and scientific resources
The tool draws heavily from the Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) database — EPA’s curated chemical identifier warehouse — and supplements it with data from authoritative sources like PubChem, the National Library of Medicine, ToxCast/Tox21, the GHS classification system, and EPA internal assay programs.
EPA notes that Dashboard data undergoes iterative review and expansion with each release (EPA, 2022), which means the resource is continuously growing in scope and reliability.
Why the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard Matters
The value of the Dashboard shows up most clearly when you think about what doesn’t exist elsewhere:
1. It brings disparate chemical data into one place
Federal agencies, industry reports, academic datasets, REACH filings, and internal toxicology programs all speak different “data languages.”
CompTox is one of the few tools designed to unify these threads into a single, structure-anchored view.
2. It supports screening-level assessments at scale
EPA explicitly designed the Dashboard to accelerate hazard evaluation and prioritization — crucial for the agency’s TSCA responsibilities and environmental health research.
3. It aids exposure science and computational toxicology
Assays, IVIVE models, rapid predictions, and curated structures provide the foundation for modern exposure and toxicity modeling used across universities and government labs.
4. It gives the public access to datasets once available only to regulators
This includes bioactivity summaries, environmental fate models, product-use context, and link-outs to regulatory documents — tools rarely available in a single open interface.
In short, the Dashboard is both a transparency instrument and a scientific workbench.
How to Search in the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
The Dashboard offers three primary search pathways, each designed for a different type of user inquiry.
1. Chemicals Search
This is the most commonly used entry point.
You can search by:
- Systematic name
- Synonym or common name
- CAS Registry Number
- DTXSID (EPA’s curated chemical identifier)
- InChIKey
The search bar supports three modes:
• Type-ahead search
Begins suggesting chemicals as soon as you start typing.
Useful when exploring variations of a chemical name or spelling.
• Exact search
Returns results only when the identifier matches exactly.
• Identifier substring search
Particularly valuable for partial CAS numbers or incomplete identifiers during investigative research.
When you select a chemical from the dropdown list, a detailed profile opens showing multiple panels of scientific data.
2. Product / Use Categories Search
This view allows you to browse chemicals grouped by:
- Consumer products (e.g., “cosmetics,” “cleaning agents”)
- Industrial applications
- Functional uses (e.g., “plasticizer,” “flame retardant”)
This is vital for journalists and researchers tracking chemical presence in consumer markets, product safety, or industrial supply chains.
3. Assay / Gene Search
Search by:
- Assay endpoint name
- Gene symbol
This connects you directly to ToxCast/Tox21 data, enabling quick screening of bioactivity or molecular target interactions—an essential feature for computational toxicologists and pharmacologists.
What You See in a CompTox Chemicals Dashboard Profile: A Breakdown
When you click into a chemical record — for example, Bisphenol A (BPA) or Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — the Dashboard typically displays the following modules:
1. Chemical Details
This includes:
- DSSTox identifier (DTXSID)
- Structural formulas
- Synonyms
- CAS number
- Known isomers or mixtures
- Source curation notes
This section is sourced directly from DSSTox, EPA’s flagship structure-based chemical registry.
2. Executive Summary
A concise overview of:
- Chemical identity
- Major use cases
- Regulatory relevance
- Data availability
This is particularly useful for quick briefings or scoping work.
3. Physicochemical Properties
The Dashboard lists:
- Experimental measurements (where available)
- Predicted values (LogP, water solubility, vapor pressure, Henry’s Law constant)
- Method notes
- Data sources
These parameters anchor exposure modeling and environmental fate predictions.
4. Environmental Fate & Transport
Here you may find:
- Biodegradation outcomes
- Partitioning behavior
- Multimedia transport models
- Persistence indicators
EPA often links to supporting tools such as the EPA Water Pollution Search or the EPISuite models.
5. Hazard Data
Includes:
- Acute toxicity
- Chronic endpoints
- Carcinogenicity classifications
- Reproductive or developmental toxicity
- ToxRefDB outputs
- ToxCast data summaries
This is where many regulatory professionals start their review.
6. Safety > GHS Data
Provides:
- Globally Harmonized System (GHS) hazard classes
- Precautionary statements
- Pictograms
- Classification sources
This section is crucial for workplace safety compliance and SDS preparation.
7. ADME / IVIVE
The IVIVE (in vitro–in vivo extrapolation) module estimates:
- Plasma binding
- Clearance
- Modeled human equivalent doses
EPA highlights that these estimates support early-stage toxicity screening (EPA CompTox Resource Hub).
8. Exposure
Exposure predictions may include:
- Modeled population exposures
- Intake estimates
- Pathway breakdowns
- Uncertainty indicators
These come from EPA exposure databases and high-throughput exposure models.
9. Bioactivity
Drawn primarily from ToxCast/Tox21, this section provides:
- Assay hit calls
- Dose-response curves
- Affected biological pathways
Researchers often use these data to evaluate biological plausibility in toxicology studies.
10. GenRA
The Generalized Read-Across (GenRA) tool uses structural similarity to evaluate potential hazards in data-poor chemicals.
This is an advanced feature relevant for:
- Alternatives assessment
- Rapid screening
- TSCA prioritization research
11. Literature
Direct connections to:
- EPA reports
- Academic papers
- External scientific databases
- Systematic reviews
This section is especially powerful for journalists and researchers verifying claims about chemical risk.
12. External Links & Regulatory Data
You’ll often see links to:
- PubChem
- NLM TOXNET archives
- ECHA REACH registrations
- NIST
- OECD tools
- Other EPA platforms
This transforms the Dashboard into a central navigation hub for chemical intelligence.
Practical Ways to Use the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
1. Rapid Screening of Chemicals in Supply Chains Using the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
Manufacturers can use product-category searches to identify chemicals of concern in consumer products.
2. Supporting Academic Research with the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
Graduate students often rely on Dashboard data for:
- Physchem parameter extraction
- Bioactivity comparisons
- IVIVE modeling inputs
3. Verification for environmental journalism
Reporters frequently use the GHS, hazard, and literature tabs when fact-checking chemical risk claims.
4. Early-stage risk prioritization
Regulatory analysts use DSSTox identifiers and GenRA outputs to identify data gaps and structurally similar substances.
5. Public interest and community science
Residents concerned about local contamination (PFAS, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals) can use the tool to understand chemical behavior and documented hazards.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths of the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
- Unusually broad data coverage (over one million substances).
- Curated structure-matched identifiers reduce ambiguity.
- Regular updates keep the platform aligned with current science.
- Strong transparency value for the public.
Limitations of the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard
- Not all chemicals have complete datasets — many entries rely on predicted values.
- Gaps remain for niche endpoints or rare compounds.
- Exposure models reflect assumptions and uncertainties inherent to rapid screening.
EPA itself notes ongoing efforts to expand the dataset, refine models, and improve coverage (EPA, 2022).
Conclusion: Why the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard Matters
The CompTox Chemicals Dashboard is one of the most powerful, publicly accessible chemical intelligence tools in the United States. It consolidates curated identifiers, environmental models, bioactivity results, hazard classifications, literature, and exposure predictions into a single interface — something no commercial database fully replicates.
For scientists, regulators, journalists, and community advocates, it offers not just data but context — information grounded in EPA science, structured for practical decision-making, and transparent enough to support public inquiry.
If you work with chemicals in any capacity, the Dashboard is not just a useful tool — it’s a necessary one.
For readers exploring related environmental and food-safety tools, see our guide to the Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool and the Organic Integrity Database, or browse all of our free and open databases.
Sources for the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard Guide
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About EPA. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa
- EPA’s official dashboard Overview.
- EPA. CompTox Resource Hub. https://www.epa.gov/comptox-tools/comptox-chemicals-dashboard-resource-hub
- EPA. Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database. https://www.epa.gov/comptox-tools/distributed-structure-searchable-toxicity-dsstox-database
- EPA. Chemical Dashboard March 2022 Report. https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-06/chemicals_dashboard_march2022.pdf
- EPA Science Inventory: Dsstox Publications. https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_lab_search_results.cfm
- EPA CompTox Seminar. Understanding the Dashboard (YouTube). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObANKz_iWRI
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor.
