Noncancer Health Effects

Understanding the impact of environmental exposures on the development or progression of disease is a critical step in fulfilling NTP's mission to protect public health.

NTP conducts literature-based evaluations using systematic review methods to assess the evidence that environmental substances may be associated with adverse health effects. These evaluations are fit for purpose to support evidence-based decision making with the available evidence and a clear statement of the objectives. An evaluation may develop hazard conclusions or characterize the evidence in state-of-the science-documents, scoping reviews, or interactive evidence maps to identify data gaps and data-rich areas for further research or synthesis.

Methods Development & Harmonization in Systematic Review

NTP actively engages with the health community to promote methods development and harmonization in the conduct of evidence evaluations and systematic review methodology. NTP's OHAT systematic review and evidence-integration methods have been adopted by researchers in Germany, France, Iran, China, Japan, and Cyprus, and the following U.S. and international entities:

• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
• Endocrine Disruptor Exchange (TEDX)
• ToxStrategies

In addition, this approach is currently being used in over 35 ongoing systematic reviews registered in Prospero, an international prospective register of systematic reviews.