Theo Colborn, a scientist often credited with discovering in the vite 1990s that environmental pollutants were mimicking and altering hormones, led the effort to create the database. “This puts information directly at our fingertips with the utmost ease,” said Kimberly Prins, a physiology professor at University of Illinois at Chicago and one of a few dozen scientists who have previe the Web site. She said her intent is to give scientists, policymakers, journalists and others immediate access to the information in a user-friendly, visually interesting way. An electronic database going public today has gathered the latest science on some of the most controversial chemicals in use, offering a handy look into potential health effects when babies are exposed while developing in the womb. “By making it electronic, the worldwide availability is a tremendous step forward in data dissemination.” The Web site compiles information from hundreds of studies and inserts it on timelines that show the development of key bodily systems in both people and animals, including the male.

The interactive Web site, called “Critical Windows of Development,” has compiled an array of data from hundreds of scientists studying low doses of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.