Internet resources for occupational and environmental health professionals

The Internet's global reach offers new powerful tools to professionals in Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH). The World Wide Web includes extensive free and commercially available reference materials on toxicology, regulatory issues, environmental epidemiology and prevention programs. Much of this especially useful content is inaccessible to general Web-based search engines. Effective use of the Web requires discovery and familiarity with sites housing query engines for technical databases. Although the Web's structure and capacity is so dynamic that any listing is incomplete, introductions to many resources are provided in this article. The Internet also offers professionals electronic access to one another, for collegial discourse. Electronic mailing lists provide assembly points for collaboration and guidance about technical issues. Several specialty forums for OEH professionals are also discussed.