Toxicology Information Response Center: a ten-year perspective

The Toxicology Information Response Center (TIRC) recently completed its first decade of work. The founding of the center coincided with a growing national concern about chemicals in the environment and their potential deleterious effects upon human populations. This paper discusses the concept, design, and the evolution of TIRC's products and services as they relate to trends in the user community, the increase in toxicology-related literature, and regulatory and media interest in specific areas of toxicology. Advances in information science and technology are discussed as to their potential positive impact on the future of TIRC and its continuing growth.