Welcome

The Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST) is the National Academies' principal study unit for environmental pollution problems affecting human health, human impacts on the environment, and the assessment and management of related risks to human health and the environment. BEST addresses questions about air and water pollution; solid and hazardous waste; toxicology; epidemiology; risk assessment; applied ecology; natural resources; and environmental engineering, economics, law, and policy. The breadth and multidisciplinary character of BEST's program is reflected in the board's diverse membership, as well as its broad constituency of government and private sponsors. The oversight of BEST's program is provided by the National Research Council's Division on Earth and Life Studies.