I would like to know the total number of chemicals in commercial use
in the United States,as well as the number of new chemicals added each
year.  The only two cites I have that estimate these numbers are
outdated (e.g., at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1995/103-7-8/fung.html).
I would like this estimate to be from an impartial source, such as a
government agency.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 25 Mar 2004 12:49 PST

This comes from an EPA project. The document was issued in April 2002:

"It has been estimated that there are approximately 100,000 chemicals
in commercial use. Of these, approximately 40,000 are used in the
Great Lakes Basin. Approximately 2,300 new chemicals are submitted to
the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) each year..."

http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/toxteam/pbtrept/pbtreport.htm

Is this the kind of information you're seeking?

Thanks for an interesting question.


The US Environmental Protection Agency is the official "keeper" of the
inventory of chemicals in commerce in the U.S.  You can visit EPA's
web site at:

http://www.epa.gov


EPA reports that there are currently about 75,000 existing chemicals
listed in the inventory.  The inventory is updated by EPA every four
years, and chemicals not only are added, but are also deleted if no
longer in active commerce.  Hence, the total numbers of chemicals do
not necessarily change very much over time.

EPA's program for reviewing "new chemicals" (i.e., chemicals not
already listed on the inventory) reports that they screen about 1,800
such chemicals a year.  Note, however, that these are chemicals
intended for commercial development, but they may not actually make it
onto market if the developers find they are not commercially viable.

I've excerpted the relevant text from EPA's website, below.  

If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to ask. 
I'll be more than happy to assist you further.

pafalafa-ga

==========


http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/newchems/invntory.htm

What is the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory ?


EPA classifies chemical substances as either "existing" chemicals or
"new" chemicals. The only way to determine if the substance you are
working with is a new chemical is by consulting EPA's Toxic Substances
Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory (commonly referred to as the
TSCA Inventory or just the Inventory). Any substance that is not on
the Inventory is classified as a new chemical. If a substance is
"new", it can be manufactured for a commercial purpose only if it is
subject to an exemption from PMN reporting or a TSCA reporting
exclusion (for example, a Low Volume Exemption, or exclusion as a
naturally-occurring material). For substances which are "existing",
the Inventory can be used to determine if there are restrictions on
manufacture or use under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).There
are approximately 75,000 chemical substances, as defined in Section 3
of the TSCA, on the Inventory at this time.
 
==========

http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/finstatement/2003ar/2003ar.pdf

Fiscal Year 2003
Annual Report
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Of the approximately 1,800 applications for new chemicals
and microorganisms submitted by industry, ensure those
marketed are safe for humans and the environment.


==========

search strategy:  Visited EPA's website and searched for "existing
chemicals" and "new chemicals"