Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment data used

US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (2000). Office of Pesticide Programs science policy on the use of data on cholinesterase inhibition for risk assessment of organophos-phorus and carbamate pesticides. Office of Pesticide Programs, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. 

US Environmental Protection Agency (2000b) Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in Fish Advisories. Volume 2 Risk Assessment and Fish Consumption Limits, 3rd edn. Washington, DC Office of Water. 

The objective of the work described here was to examine whether a similar approach can be used to assess chemical uptake into the skin in vivo from contaminated soil. It is now well recognized that human skin contact with contaminated soil can represent an important route of exposure to toxic compounds in occupational, environmental, and recreational settings. Data on the dermal uptake of chemicals from soil, especially in vivo, are limited, however, and those that do exist may underrepresent the true risk. This is because the amount of soil applied to skin in these experiments (1) greatly exceeds the mass of soil adhering to skin during a typical exposure (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2001) and (2) may have provided multiple soil layers that do not contribute equally to dermal absorption (Bunge and Parks, 1998). 

Recommendation (Demo I) GA-6. The air emissions data from the demonstration tests should be used in a screening risk assessment. The results of the air effluent samples should be subject to (1) a human health risk assessment following the Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol (HHRAP) for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [EPA530-D-98-001(A,B>C)] and (2) an ecological risk assessment following a protocol that wiU be released by EPA in the very near future. 

Use of Exposure Data for Risk Assessment," Environmental Protection Agency, 1980. 

The United States EPA has used several databases in their estimates for benzene exposure and risk. (Environmental Protection Agency, 5.0 Benzene, 5.1. Chemical and Physical Properties, EPA, 1988) The data utilized by flie EPA to assess the risk included the study by Rinsky et al. in 198U where the duration of exposure was at least 24 years and exposure levels are between 10 to 100 ppm (8 hour TWA) with a statistically significant increase incidence of leukemia. The study of Ott et al. in 1978 showed levels of anywhere from 2 to 25 ppm (8 hour TWA) with increased incidence of leukemia and Wong et al. 1983, where the exposure was at least 6 monflis, levels were from 1 ppm to 50 ppm, and there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of leukemia, lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers. 

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