Exposure registries.

Exposure registries are new tools for use as part of the public health response to toxic occupational and environmental exposures. These registries can help fill a gap that currently exists in the effective handling of problems following the revelation of an exposure situation. In the past, such a tool was lacking and potentially high-risk groups may not have received needed services. Recent legislation, however, has mandated the establishment of exposure registries. These registries can help provide the basis for a unified response to what historically has been described as a fragmented and ineffective approach to managing high-risk cohorts and assessing the impact of toxic substances. Certain exposure registries are now mandated by law (PL 96-510), and they have a place alongside other disease control and public health tools. Their establishment and use is not without problems, but the gain from them could be substantial. They fill a gap in the current public health response to problems of groups found to be at increased risk of exposure to toxic substances.