The HERO Database

The Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO) database provides an easy way to access and influence the scientific literature behind EPA science assessments.

The database includes more than 600,000 scientific references and data from the peer-reviewed literature used by EPA to develop its regulations for the following: Integrated Science Assessments (ISA) that feed into the NAAQS review, Provisional Peer Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) that represent human health toxicity values for the Superfund, and the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), a database that supports critical agency policymaking for chemical regulation. These assessments supported by HERO characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans and the ecosystem from pollutants and chemicals in the environment.

HERO is an EVERGREEN database, this means that new studies are continuously added so scientists can keep abreast of current research. Imported references are systematically sorted, classified and made available for search and citation. Documents in the HERO database that have been cited in EPA risk assessments can be viewed publically via the LitBrowser tabs below.

HERO is part of the open government directive to conduct business with transparency, participation, and collaboration. Every American has the right to know the data behind EPA's regulatory process. With HERO, the public can participate in the decision-making process.