EPA/600/N-92/020
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region II, New York, New York 10278
. DATE: . May 20, 1992
SUBJECT: Risk Assessment Review
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FROM: William J . ^JtTsz yn syffi*P\E .
Deputy Regional Administrator
William Farland, Ph.D.
Director
.Office of Health and Environmental Assessment
Attached is a copy of the Risk Assessment Review, a bimonthly
publication that is a cooperative effort between the Office
of Research and Development and the Regional Risk Assessment
Network.
The Review serves as a focal point for information exchange
among the EPA risk assessment community on both technical and
policy issues related to' risk assessment. It is currently in
its fourth year of publication and we are pleased at the
positive feedback we've received on the Review's usefulness
to staff across the Agency.
Thanks to all of you who continue to contribute articles and
are involved with production efforts. If you have an article
to contribute or any suggestions for further issues, contact
one of the Committee members listed on page 1 of the Review.
Attachment
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April 1992
Highlights
• Seventh Annual Regional Risk Assessors Meeting p. 1
June 15-18,1992, in Dallas, Texas
• Guidelines for Exposure Assessment p. 1
• Federal Government Goes to Ten-Digit Dialing p. 3
IRIS2 Update p. 3
• Dermal Exposure Assessment Guidance Available p. 4
• Region K—Vinyl Chloride Contamination p. 6
I ' ' I
I. Special Features
Seventh Regional Risk Assessors Meeting—
June 15-18,1992, in Dallas, Texas
by Jon Rauscher (214) 655-2198
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the Regional Risk Asses-
sors will be held June 15-18th, 1992, in Dallas, Texas. As in
prior years, the agenda will include human health and
ecological risk assessment topics. The agenda will include a
discussion of international risk assessment activities. The
meeting provides an excellent opportunity for discussion of
risk issues facing the Agency.
Tentative topics under discussion include sample ecological
case studies including a discussion of Region VI's activities
at the Kuwait oil fires; regional discussions of implementa-
tion of the risk characterization memo; demonstrations of
computer software and hardware to analyze risks; risk
training; international risk activities in Eastern Europe; and
LRIS2.
Risk Assessment Review Committee
Bill Farland—ORD, (202) 260-7317
.Maureen McClelland—Region I, (617) 565-4885
Maria Pavlova—Region II, (212) 264-7364
Marian Olsen—Region II, (212) 264-5682
Suzanne Wuerthele—Region VIII, (303) 293-1714
Dana Davoli—Region X, (206) 553-2135
The organizing committee is finalizing the agenda; a draft
version is listed below:
Monday, June 15,1992
12:00 Registration
1:00 Welcoming Remarks and Introductions
1:30 Human Health Key Note Address
Dr. Mary Jane Selgrade
Immunotoxicology and Risk Assessment
1:45 Ecological Risk Assessment Session I
Chair: Susan Roddy
Kuwait Cleanup
Ecological Risk Assessment Guidelines
Supplemental Risk Assessment Guidance
Overview of Ecological Risk Assessment
Case Studies
Tacoma Swamp Superfund Site
RCRA Ecological Risk Assessment
Ecological Exposure Factors
Ecological Risk Assessment of Pesticides
5:00 Risk Assessors Social (see Meeting p. 2)
Guidelines for Exposure Assessment
by Clare Stine (202) 260-6743
On April 28, 1992, the Administrator signed the "Guide-
lines for Exposure Assessment." These Guidelines were
developed by the Risk Assessment Forum and the Office of
Health and Environmental Assessment as part of an Agency-
wide work group. The 1992 Guidelines replace both the
"Guidelines for Estimating Exposures," published on Sep-
tember 24, 1986 (51 FR 34042-34054), and the "Proposed
Guidelines for Exposure-Related Measurements," published
for comment on December 2, 1988 (53 FR 48830-48853).
The Guidelines establish.a broad framework for Agency
exposure assessments. They stress that exposure estimates,
along with supporting information, should be fully pre-
sented in Agency risk assessment documents. They also
stress that EPA scientists will identify the strengths and
weaknesses of each assessment by describing uncertainties,
assumptions, and limitations, as well as the scientific basis
and rationale for each assessment. In addition, the Guide-
lines emphasize that exposure assessments done as part of a
risk assessment need to consider hazard identification and
dose-response in the planning stages of the exposure assess-
ment, so that these three parts can be smoothly integrated
into the risk characterization.
The Guidelines discuss and reference a number of ap-
proaches and tools for exposure assessment and describe
general concepts including definitions and associated units.
In particular, the Guidelines standardize terminology that
the Agency uses in exposure assessments and outlines the
limits of sound scientific practice.
There are some important changes in the 1992 Guidelines.
First, the definition of the most basic terms "exposure" and
"dose" have changed since the 1986 and 1988 versions.
This change may cause assessors some extra work in the
(see Guidelines p. 2)
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Meeting (continued from p.l)
Tuesday, June 16,1992
8:00 Ecological Risk Assessment Session n
Chair: Pat Cirone
Habitat Analysis
Update on the Wildlife Criteria Workshop
Habitat Clusters
Louisiana Bottomland Hardwood Wetlands
Case Study
Cumulative Impact on Wetlands
Indicators of Success
REMAP Panel Discussion
EMAP
Quantitative Ecological Risk Assessment
Snake River
Comparison of Ecological and Human
Health Risk Assessment
1:00 Human Health Risk—Session I
Chair: Suzanne Wuerthele
Indoor Air Pollution and Regional Guidance
Gasoline Vapors
Showering
Eclectic Risk Assessment
Human Health and Ecological Risk from
Radiation
Disinfection Problems
Use of Human Data in Regulation—Discussion
Wednesday, June 17
8:00 Human Health Risk—Session II
Chair: Elmer Akin
Deputy Administrator's Guidance on Risk
Characterization
- Central Tendency
- Panel discussion on Regional
Implementation
- Review of EPA Risk Assessment
Dermal Exposure Assessment—Panel Discus-
sion
PAH and PCB Relative Potencies
Dioxin Update
Consensus Building Among Regions
1:00 Risk Assessment Tools
Chair: Ghassan Khoury
IRIS2 and Regional Implementation
Risk* Assistant
Lead Uptake-Biokinetic Model
ACQUIRE
. TRI and Air Releases
TRI and CIS
GIS use in Human Health and Ecology
7:00 Country Western Dancing
Thursday, June 18
8:00 Administrative Issues Session
Chair: William J. Muszynski
Risk Training
Ecological Risk Course
International Risk Assessment
IRIS Meets the Public
Science at EPA
RAC Issues
Regional Round-robin
1:30 Introduction to the Revised Risk and Decision
Making Course
The meeting will begin at noon on June 15th and end at
noon on June 18th, providing three days of active discus-
sion. The afternoon of the 18th will also provide an oppor-
tunity for attendees to learn more about the revised version
of the Workshop on Risk and Decision Making being
developed ~by Region IX.
The meeting will be held at the Bristol Suites Hotel in the
northeastern section of Dallas. The room rate for the hotel is
$74 for a single and $89 for a double (including compli-
mentary breakfast). Tax exempt forms are required, since
Texas has a 13% tax on occupancy.
For hotel reservations, contact the Bristol Suites Hotel at
(214) 233-7600 before May 15th. Hotel reservations in-
clude meeting registration.
For additional information on the conference agenda and
any logistical questions, please contact Jon Rauscher, the
meeting organizer, at (214) 655-2198.
Guidelines (continued from p.l)
short run, but the change brings the Agency more in line
with accepted definitions in the scientific community. Sec-
ond, the 1992 Guidelines provide discussion of more ap-
proaches to evaluating exposure than the earlier versions.
The new Guidelines compare and contrast methods such as
direct measurement, scenario evaluation, and reconstruc-
tion of dose using biomonitoring and biomarkers. Third, the
1992 Guidelines provide an extensive discussion of risk
characterization and how exposure assessors play a key role
in developing "risk descriptors" to help explain risk assess-
ment Fourth, there is significant guidance on setting up
scenarios, including specific points to consider in reviewing
the logic of the scenario.
Although the Guidelines for Exposure Assessment focus on
exposures of humans to chemical substances, much of the
guidance contained in the document also pertains to assess-
ing wildlife exposure to chemicals or to human exposures to
biological, noise, and radiological agents. Since these latter
four areas present unique challenges, assessments of these
topics must consider additional factors beyond the scope of
these Guidelines. The Risk Assessment Forum may, at a
future date, issue additional specific guidance in these
areas.
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The Guidelines for Exposure Assessment will be published
in the Federal Register in the near future. We anticipate that
single reprints will be available after publication from the
ORD Publication Office, CERI, 26 West Martin Luther
King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268; telephone (513) 569-
7562; fax (513) 569-7566. Please provide your name and
mailing address and request the document by title, "Guide-
lines for Exposure Assessment," and EPA number EPA/
600yZ-92/001. „
For further information on the Exposure Guidelines, please
contact Michael Callahan at (202) 260-8909.
II. Headquarters
Federal Government Goes to Ten-Digit Dialing
On April 20, the Federal Telecommunication System (FTS)
changed to a 10-digit dialing number. No longer will there
be separate FTS and commercial numbers; all FTS numbers
have been changed to match the 10-digit commercial num-
bers. Please note that this issue of the Risk Assessment
Review provides only the new 10-digit number.
The change will be implemented during the period April-
July 1992. Between April 20 and May 20, the network will
accept either the 7- or 10-digit number. After May 20,
callers will not be able to dial the old 7-digit number, but
will receive a recording advising them that the 10-digit
commercial number should be used instead. The bottom
line for users is that between now and May 20, all script
files and speed-call numberprogramming'should be revised
to reflect the change, and all frequent callers should be
provided with the new 10-digit number. Business cards,
publications, and directors should also be updated to elimi-
nate display of the old FTS number.
As is true of any major system change, it is important that
the news reach all those affected as rapidly as practical. The
National Data Processing Division (NDPD) Telecommuni-
cations Branch (TCB) will be working to assure that all
national systems incorporate the changes and will use every
available means to spread the news. A lookup table for old
and new FTS numbers will be made available on Agency
systems, or you can call the FTS2000 Locations at 8-700-
288-1212 for additional information.
If you need additional information, or have questions, please
call Telecommunications at 8-919-541 -2255, or the FTS2000
General Help Desk at 8-700-288-0000.
IRIS2 Update
by Jacqueline Patterson (513) 569-7574
IRIS2, a PC version of the Integrated Risk Information
System (IRIS), has been distributed to IRIS users in EPA
and selected state agencies. Because IRIS2 is an initial
release and not in final form, it is not being distributed
beyond these users. IRIS2 contains the same data as the
version of IRIS on the National Library of Medicine's
TOXNET, which is publicly available (see next article for
information on training). Both IRIS2 and IRIS on TOXNET
are updated on the first of each month, starting with April 1.
IRIS2 users are responsible for downloading the update file
from EPA's mainframe computer and updating their own
systems.
A User's Guide and Reference Card were distributed with
IRIS2. The User's Guide explains how to install IRIS2,
navigate through the system and perform monthly updates.
Because this is a new system, we are still working out the
bugs and discovering its full capabilities and limitations.
This article clarifies some features of IRIS2 and offers
additional suggestions and hints for easier use.
General
The NEWS box on the first screen contains lists of
changes made to IRIS each month. This is the
same information that was in INFO MORE on E-
Mail. This is the only routine way IRIS User
Support will be communicating with IRIS2 users.
Press CONTROL ENTER to expand this and any
other box with red or highlighted arrows.
A disk was mailed in early April to users to fix a
bug and supply data that were missing from the
original diskettes. The missing data included the
RfD and RfC bibliographies and the acronyms and
glossary. If you have not received this disk, please
contact IRIS User Support (513) 569-7254 imme-
diately. Most regional users are accessing 1RIS2
through a Local Area Network, all of which should
have been corrected in March.
We are exploring additional options for delivering
the updates that may not require the use of Arbiter
(a software communication package for down-
loading data from the mainframe). Users will be
notified of any additional options that are avail-
able.
It is important to note that on several screens the
box with the red arrows may not be the first
expandable box on that screen. SHIFT TAB will
tab back up the screen to reach other expandable
boxes. This is particularly important on the carci-
nogenicity screens, among others. For example,
the Benzo-a-pyrene (BaP) carcinogenicity sections
contain a lengthy NOTE that users will want to
read. Use SHIFT TAB on the first screen in this
section to back up to the NOTE.
You may be frustrated when you select a button
and it appears that nothing is happening. IRIS2
first clears the old data from a screen and then
shows an empty template of the new screen while
it is extracting and compiling the needed data.
Then, the data are added to the screen. See the
information below on tips for increasing the speed
ofIRIS2.
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• IRIS2 lists 601 records. No, we did not have a
major loading of over 100 new chemicals. IRIS2
lists chemicals which are under review by the
work groups but are not yet available on IRIS2.
• To search by CAS Registry Number, you can
use the FIND SYNONYMS option. A caution:
ERIS2 finds the closest match; please make sure
that was the chemical you intended to view.
If you are confused about what data are behind the
different buttons, try using the Page Up and Page
Down keys. These will take you through a chemi-
cal file in roughly the same order as the E-Mail
IRIS.
Improving Speed
• IRIS2 was designed to be used on either a stand-
alone PC or a LAN, however, operations on a
LAN may be slower than.a stand-alone PC, and, of
course, a 386 will work faster than a 286. Because
it is the user's responsibility to update the system
each month, it is usually more convenient to load
IRIS on a LAN. Heavy users may want to consider
loading IRIS2 on their PCs.
Printing and Reports
• Background documents cannot be printed from
IRIS2. If you want copies of the background docu-
ments, please contact IRIS User Support at (513)
569-7254.
If you have a report to an ASCII file, you will
want to set your margins to 80 characters before
you view or print the field in WordPerfect or other
wordprocessing software.
• When you print or save a file, the synonyms are
not currently part of the file. This will be corrected
in a future update.
• We are looking for suggestions on the printing and
report options If there are standard reports that
you think many IRIS users would find valuable,
please send IRIS User's Support your suggestions.
Help Is Available
Users are encouraged to call the IRIS2 Hotline if they
encounter problems installing or using IRIS2. The hotline is
operated by American Management Systems (703) 276-
3263, the contractor that programmed BRIS2.
A comment form was included in the distribution package.
4We want to hear your likes and dislikes about the system.
With this information we will be refining IRIS2 to make it
work better and better meet user needs. If you have addi-
tional shortcuts and suggestions you would like to share
with other IRIS2 users, please contact Jacqueline Patterson,
(513) 569-7574, and we will discuss these in future issues
of the Risk Assessment Review.
For more information on IRIS2, or copies of the User's
Guide, Comment Form, or Reference Card, please call IRIS
User Support at (513) 569-7254.
IRIS Training Availability for TOXNET Users
by Patricia Daunt (513) 569-7579
A free workshop on the TOXNET system and its databases,
including IRIS, will be offered at the National Library of
Medicine on Friday, June 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The workshop is designed for both new and prospective
users of IRIS on TOXNET. This workshop is intended for
beginning searchers new to TOXNET who need a basic
grasp of the content of its files, how they are structured, and
how they are searched. An emphasis will be placed upon
IRIS, using it as a model to demonstrate features of TOXNET
searching. Other NLM files, such as the Hazardous Sub-
stances Data Bank (HSDB) and TOXLINE, also contain
information that could support risk assessment activities,
and will be reviewed in the workshop. Lecture, online
demonstration, and hands-on exercises will provide you
with a working knowledge of how to search IRIS and other
NLM files.
Enrollment for this workshop is limited to 24 students.
Registration forms, available from NLM's Toxicology In-
formation Program, were due to NLM by May 8, but there
will be future workshops. You may also register by phone
or fax. Be sure to indicate that you are interested in the
IRIS/TOXNET Workshop, and provide your name, com-
plete mailing address, and phone number, and NLM User
ID code, if you are currently a TOXNET or NLM sub-
scriber. Feel free to let us know if you would be interested
in the workshop at a future date.
For additional information, contact IRIS/TOXNET Work-
shop, Toxicology Information Program, National Library of
Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20614.
The telephone number is (301) 496-6531; the fax number is
(301) 450-3537.
Dermal Exposure Assessment Guidance
Available
by Kim Hoang (202) 260-2059
The Office of Health and Environmental Assessment has
completed an interim document titled "Dermal Exposure
Assessment: Principles and Applications," EPA/600/8-91/
01 IB. The document is being printed for distribution and
use, although it may undergo further Science Advisory
Board review. The purpose of the document is to describe
the principles of dermal absorption and show how to apply
these principles in actual human exposure scenarios. The
primary focus of the document is on dermal contact with
water, soils, and vapors. For each of these media, the
experimental data on the dermal properties of specific com-
pounds are summarized, and methods are provided for
predicting these properties when data are lacking. Addition-
ally, scenario factors describing the frequency, duration,
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and intensity of contact are presented for the soil and water
media. The document is available from the Center for
Environmental Research Information (CERI), 26 West Mar-
tin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268. The tele-
phone number is (513) 569-7562; the fax number is (513)
569-7566.
For additional information, contact Kim Hoang of the Ex-
posure Assessment Group at (202) 260-2059.
Update on the Health Effects Assessment
Summary Tables
The new version of "Health Effects Assessment Summary
Tables (HEAST)," from the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, was made available in March 1992.
The new version will direct users to IRIS for those chemi-
cals that are listed on IRIS and no longer list the IRIS risk
information. Enhancements in the presentation of the HEAST
include the addition of Chemical Abstract Service Registry
Numbers (CAS No.) for each chemical, the identification of
the dose level on which the risk assessment is based, the
incorporation of footnotes into individual records, and the
implementation of a numerical coding system to associate
each risk assessment value more clearly with its corre-
sponding reference.
For additional information on the HEAST tables, contact
the Superfund Technical Support Center at (513) 569-7300.
in. Around the Region
Region II
The following are brief descriptions of various publications
of interest:
Air Pollution
A study of air pollution in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro-
politan Area was conducted by the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency. The study, titled "Estimation and Evalua-
tion of Cancer Risks From Air Pollution in the Minneapolis/
St. Paul Metropolitan Area," found that vehicle exhaust
accounts for 61 % of the total cancer risks from air pollution.
The study did not calculate maximum risks but evaluated
the average risk over the entire city area. Copies of the
report are available from Elizabeth Henderson at (612) 296-
7597.
Neurotoxicology
The National Research Council has issued a book, titled
"Environmental Neurotoxicology," calling for increased
efforts in neurotoxicity testing, surveillance, and risk as-
sessment of neurotoxic chemicals. The committee was
headed by Philip J. Landrigan of the ML Sinai School of
Medicine, New York City, and was sponsored by the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The book is
available for $24.95 plus $3.00 for shipping from the Na-
tional Academy Press at (800) 624-6242.
Asbestos
On March 20, 1992, the Office of Air and Radiation re-
leased "A Guide to Performing Reinspection Under the
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act." Copies are
available through the EPA Asbestos Hotline at (202) 554-
1404.
Alar
The American Council on Science and Health has pub-
lished a report on alar titled "Alar Three Years Later:
Science Unmasks a Hypothetical Health Scare." For infor-
mation, contact the American Council on Science and Health,
1995 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10023-5860.
The charge for the publication is $3.85.
International Database on Health Information
The World Health Organization has developed various
health-related statistical and textual databases that provide
information from the 32 European member states. The
databases are designed to track objectives for "Health For
All (HFA) by the year 2000.
The databases allow rapid retrieval of information by each
regional objective, as well as by keywords and subject area.
The databases currently available are:
Statistical
Health for All
Food and Health
AIDS Surveillance
Textual
Health Legislation
Documentation Retrieval
The databases can be accessed through on-line telecommu-
nications.
For additional information, contact the World Health Orga-
nization Office of Europe, 8 Scherfigsvej, DK-2100
Copenhagen, Denmark. The telephone number is 45 39 17
17 17; telex is 15 348 who dk; fax is 45 31 18 11 20.
Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and
Health
The 1992 report of the Surgeon General, "Smoking and
Health in the Americas," was released on March 12, 1992.
The report, jointly developed with the Pan American Health
Organization, examines epidemiologic, economic, histori-
cal, and legal aspects of tobacco use in the Americas.
An executive summary of the Surgeon General's report is
available from the Public Information Branch, Office on
Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Con-
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trol; telephone (404) 488-5705. Copies of the full report are
available from the Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box
371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 (S/N 017-001-00478-2
for English), for $12.00 each.
NIOSH Basis for an Occupational Health Stan-
dard for Acrylamide: A Review of the Literature
The National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health
and the National Institute for Occupational Health of Solna,
Sweden, have developed documents to provide the scien-
tific basis for establishing recommended'occupational ex-
posure limits. The document, "NIOH and NIOSH Basis for
an Occupational Health Standard, Acrylamide: A Review
of the Literature," was released in March. Single copies of
this document are available without charge from the Infor-
mation Dissemination Section, Division of Standards De-
velopment and Technology Transfer, NIOSH, 4676
Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, or telephone
-(513) 533-8287.
Lead
"Hazardous Substances and Public Health," a publication of
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
issued a special issue on Lead Toxicity in the January/
February 1992 publication. Of special interest are the fol-
lowing items:
• "Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children—
1991," is available from the Publication Activities,
Office of the Director, National Center for Envi-
ronmental Health and Injury Control, Centers for
Disease Control, Mailstop F29,1600 Clifton Roafl,
N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
• The Kentucky Department of Health Services, Di-
vision of Maternal and Child Health, publishes a
bi-annual newsletter, titled LEADLINES, that in-
cludes articles on such topics as effects of lead on
children, changes in lead standards, methods of
treatment of children, abatement of lead in the
environment, and reports from the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Con-
trol, and other agencies involved in childhood lead
poisoning prevention and lead exposure.
Copies of LEADLINES are available from the edi-
tor, Judy S. Nielsen, c/o The Childhood Lead
Program, Jefferson County Health Department,
400 East Gray Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202;
telephone (502) 625-6525 or fax (502) 625-5734.
Articles for publication in LEADLINES may be
submitted through the same office.
For additional information on the ATSDR publication, con-
tact the Managing Editor, Hazardous Substances and Public
Health Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
1600 Clifton Road, N.W., Mailstop E33, Atlanta, Georgia
30333. The phone number is (404) 639-0736; fax is (404)
639-0746.
ATSDR Research
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has
announced proposed procedures for conducting voluntary
research as part of the ATSDR substance-specific research
program. The aim of the program is to provide public health
officials with information on the effects of chemical expo-
sures to the human body. The notice was published in the
February 7 Federal Register. For more information, contact
Mike Greenwell at (404) 639-0727.
Region IX
Vinyl Chloride Contamination
The Region IX Superfund program will be conducting
additional sampling for vinyl chloride at the Fresno Sani-
tary Landfill site. Previous sampling indicated significantly
high subsurface vinyl chloride levels in a residential area
adjacent to the landfill. This raised concern about potential
in-home vinyl chloride exposures because less-than-life-
time risk information from EPA's Office of Health and
Environmental Assessment (OHEA) indicated that expo-
sures to neonates or young children to levels on the order of
12 to 10 ppb for 4 to 5 years can generate excess lifetime
cancer risks in the range of lO'* to 10"3. Based on the OHEA
risk information, Region IX worked with the California
EPA lexicologists to establish response criteria and con-
ducted in-home sampling last November. No vinyl chloride
was detected in any of the homes (detection limit 0.2 ppb)
sampled, and a periodic sampling schedule was established
to monitor for future exposures until a permanent remedy is
instituted at the site. One interesting finding was that vinyl
chloride in subsurface landfill gas was migrating ahead of
the other components* including methane. A presentation
on the site and the in-home sampling was given at the
Superfund Risk Assessment Conference in New Orleans
during the last week of January.
Comparative Risk Projects
Following successful comparative risk projects by EPA
(HQ and regions), four state risk-ranking projects are un-
derway or being planned in Region IX. Projects in Hawaii
and Guam are currently in the technical analysis phase, a
kickoff meeting for the California project was held April 1,
1992, and an Arizona project is in the planning phase.
Technical assistance on assessment of risks to public health
and the environment is being provided by Region IX, and
OPPE is providing assistance with funding. In addition to
the traditional assessment of risks to human health and the
environment, the Hawaii project is incorporating informa-
tion about social and cultural impacts of environmental
changes, especially with respect to the native Hawaiian
population. As part of the California project, numerous
regional community committees and a statewide committee
will advise the technical research teams and an interagency
management group on the risk assessment and ranking
activities.
Contact: Gerald Hiatt (415) 744-1022.
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Risk Training
On March 2, 1992, risk communication training was pro-
vided to 40 staff members and managers from various
California counties working on emergency response plan-
ning. The response was extremely positive.
Region IX continues to receive numerous requests for risk
communication seminars, lectures, and training from a vari-
ety of federal, state, and local environmental and health
agencies. Recently, Region IX received requests from vari-
ous California air pollution control districts responsible for
implementing the air toxics hot spots program under State
Assembly Bill 2588. This bill requires air districts to inven-
tory their largest toxic emission sources. Of the sources
inventoried, the largest one-third to one-half are required to
conduct screening level risk assessments, and to inform
nearby residents when risks exceed predetermined levels,
usually set at 10-s or with a range of 1Q-4 to 1Q-*. Currently,
the state has received about 800 risk assessments, and more
are expected in subsequent years. They anticipate that the
public may be alarmed by the results of the screening level
risk assessment, creating a major risk communication prob-
lem. The problem is compounded by the lack of risk assess-
ment education for the general public and the air districts.
Region IX's "Public Meeting: Typical Questions and Sample
Responses," was recently incorporated into the Office of
Pesticide Program's Risk Communication Training Work-
shop. This document was prepared two years ago and was
updated in January 1992.
On March 10-12,1992, the Workshop on Risk and Decision
Making was offered to 80 staff member's and managers
from various air pollution control districts in Southern
California. Also attending were staff and managers from
CAL-EPA, the Department of Defense, Department of Inte-
rior, various city and county agencies, and San Diego State
University. This was the largest Risk and Decision Making
Workshop in Region IX. Out of a possible rating of 4.0, the
course received a 3.5!
Contact: Alvin Chun (415) 744-1019
IV. Announcements
American Association for the Advancement of
Science Colloquium on Science and
Technology Policy—April 16-17
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) and the Colloquium on Science and Technology
Policy provided a forum in which policymakers and mem-
bers of the scientific and engineering community partici-
pated in a candid discussion of key policy issues.
Issues addressed included:
• Alternative visions for U.S. science and technol-
ogy,
A market shake-out? How science and technology
and education are adjusting,
• International collaboration in science and technol-
ogy, and
• The politics of health research.
For additional information, contact the AAAS at (202) 326-
6600.
Center for Environmental Health Meeting—April
23-24.
The Center for Environmental Health held a meeting titled
"Incorporating Molecular Mechanisms into Estimates of
Cancer Risk: Scientific and Regulatory Issues." The meet-
ing, held in Storrs, Connecticut, covered topics including
rodent bioassay testing, the role of cell proliferation, and the
molecular biology of dioxin. For additional information,
contact Ellen Amore at (203) 486-5067.
Resources for the Future Meeting—April 29,1992
Resources for the Future hosted a meeting titled "The
Health Effects Institute: Research and Regulation of Air
Pollution," in Washington, D.C., on April 29. For addi-
tional information, contact Resources for the Future at
(202) 328-5000.
Harvard School of Public Health Meeting—May
27-29
The Harvard School of Public Health will sponsor a semi-
nar, titled "Occupational Health Risk Assessment: Direc-
tions for the '90s." Topics will include applications of risk
assessment in occupational health, risk assessment for non-
cancer endpoints and risk characterization, the use of scien-
tific approaches and policy implications for risk assessment,
hazard management, ethics, and communication. The fee
for the course is $250.00. For additional information, con-
tact Etta Baurhenn, Occupational Health Program, Harvard
School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston,
Massachusetts 02115; telephone (617) 432-1262.
Midwest Center for Occupational Health and
Safety Meeting—May 27-29
The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety
will sponsor a meeting on health risk assessment and risk
management from May 27 to 29, in Bloomington, Minne-
sota. The cost of the course is $450.00. For additional
information, contact the Midwest Center at (612) 221-3992.
Johns Hopkins University Training in Environ-
mental Health—May 18-29
The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and
Public Health's Department of Environmental Health Sci-
ences will host its 5th Summer Institute in Environmental
Health Sciences from May 18 to 19, 1992, in Baltimore,
Maryland. Courses will include risk communication, radia-
tion health sciences, principles of industrial hygiene, and
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physical agents in environmental health sciences. For addi-
tional information, contact: Dr. Jacqueline Corn at (410)
955-2609.
EPA Meeting on Municipal Solid Waste—
June 3-5
EPA will hold its second national conference on municipal
solid waste management from June 3 to 5,1992, in Arling-
ton, Virginia. The meeting will emphasize new approaches
to solid waste management and will provide an opportunity
for exchange of state-of-the-art technologies, future poli-
cies and trends, research, and effective implementations of
solid waste approaches. For additional information, contact
(301) 585-2898.
Tenth Annual Summer Institute in Risk Manage-
ment in Environmental Health and Protection—
June 9-12
The Tenth Annual Summer Institute in Management in
Environmental Health and Protection (including quantita-
tive risk assessment) will be held at the New York Univer-
sity Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service,
Center for Management, 4 Washington Square North, New
York City, N.Y. 10003.
The course provides health, safety, and environmental pro-
fessionals with technical and managerial skills to evaluate
and manage health risks from toxic and hazardous sub-
stances in the workplace and the community. Programmatic
applications emphasize air and water quality and hazardous
wastes. Cases include hazardous waste disposal, chemical
spills, toxic releases, and drinking water contamination
episodes.
For additional information, contact Professor Rae
Zimmerman, Director of the Summer Institute in Risk
Management, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public
Service, New York University, 4 Washington Square North,
New York, N.Y., 10003.
American Industrial Hygiene Association Meeting
on Lead—June 18-19
The American Industrial Hygiene Association will sponsor
a symposium, titled "Lead in the Environment: New Hori-
zons in the Practice of Industrial Hygiene," in Washington,
D.C. The symposium will provide a perspective of the
hazards of nontraditional sources of lead exposure includ-
ing contaminated soil and dust For information, contact the
AIHA Continuing Education Department at (216) 873-
2442.
Third Annual Symposium on Environmental and
Occupational Health in Central and Eastern
Europe—June 26-July 1
The Third Annual Symposium on Environmental and Oc-
cupational Health in Central and Eastern Europe will be
held in Pultusk, Poland, from June 26 to July 1,1992. The
theme of the conference will be "Protecting Workers, the
Environment and Health in a Market Economy." For addi-
tional information, contact Dr. Barry Levy or Marsha Spitzer,
Management Sciences for Health at (617) 527-9202.
International Congress on Health Effects of
Hazardous Waste—May 3-6,1993
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), in collaboration with the Emory University School
of Public Health and the Association of Occupational and
Environmental Clinics, will hold the first International Con-
gress on the Health Effects of Hazardous Waste. The con-
gress, which will be cosponsored by the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences and the Environmental
Protection Agency, will be held May 3-6,1993, in Atlanta.
This congress will provide an opportunity for biomedical
and environmental scientists, epidemiologists, physicians,
risk assessors, and lexicologists to evaluate and disseminate
state-of-the-art information about the human health effects
associated with exposure to hazardous waste. Topics will
include populations at risk, exposure assessment (including
environmental measurements, modeling, and use of bio-
logic markers), health effects resulting from exposure to
toxic substances (including toxicologic studies, health-ef-
fects studies, diagnostic strategies, and risk analysis), miti-
gation strategies, risk communication, technology and
information transfer, health implications of emerging tech-
nologies, gaps in data, and research needs.
Additional information is available from the Associate Ad-
ministrator for Science, ATSDR, Mailstep E-28,1600 Clifton
Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30333; telephone (404) 639-
0708.
Courses Available Through the EPA Center for
Exposure Assessment Modeling—
April-September 1992
The EPA Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling
(CEAM) located in Athens, Georgia, will sponsor a number
of courses on exposure models developed by the laboratory.
Many of the courses are co-sponsored with the University
of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. A brief de-
scription of the courses and dates on which the course will
be offered are listed below.
For registration for each course, please contact Ms. Joyce
A. Wool, Asci Corporation, c/o U.S. EPA-ERL, College
Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30613-0801. The telephone
number is (404) 546-3210 and the fax number is (404) 546-
3340.
Workshop on Pesticides and Industrial Chemical
Risk Analysis and Hazard Assessment (PIRA-
NHA) Computer Assisted Analysis Technology
The PIRANHA workshop is designed for scientists and
engineers responsible for wide-ranging ecological safety
and risk assessment of synthetic organic pesticides. PIRA-
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NHA is a geographic information system (GIS) shell con-
taining electronic cartographic displays, biogeographic, cli-
matological, and physiographic databases, and validated
process-based models for land surface contamination, and
aquatic biota/ecosystem risk analysis of synthetic organic
chemicals. Its constituent models include land contamina-
tion and mobility (PRZM), aquatic ecosystem physical,
chemical, and biological modeling (EXAMS), and biocon-
centration/bioaccumulation in fish and gill-breathing inver-
tebrates (FGETS). PIRANHA environmental databases are
aggregated at a U.S. Department of Agriculture Major Land
Resource Area spatial scale.
The purpose of the workshop is to provide participants with
the background knowledge and introductory experience
necessary to conduct computer-based biogeographic endan-
germent analyses, quantitative assessment of the extent,
duration and magnitude of environmental contamination by
synthetic chemicals, and evaluations of food-chain con-
tamination and contaminant impacts on aquatic biota. The
workshop will emphasize the preparation of ecotoxicological
problems for simulation studies and analysis, acquisition of
reliable chemical and environmental data, preparation of
appropriate datasets for use by PIRANHA'S constituent
analytical tools, and interpretation of results in effective
risk management and safety evaluations.
In addition to an introduction to the physics, chemistry, and
biology of chemical mobility and persistence, the course
will introduce techniques of database information gather-
ing, GIS modeling technology, statistical inference and
model validation, and the dynamics of physiologically struc-
tured populations. The workshop will emphasize hands-on
experience with PC-based simulation models and telecom-
munications access to large public databases using the
University of Georgia's Advanced Computer Training Ser-
vices (CTS) IBM-compatible laboratory and telecommuni-
cations services to EPA's National Computer Center (NCC).
The workshop will emphasize the production of practical
decision-oriented complete analyses via a focus on the
analysis of real-world case studies of pesticide safety prob-
lems.
This workshop will be held at the University of Georgia
Center for Continuing Education in Athens, Georgia, July
20-24, 1992. The registration fee is $300.00.
Workshop on the Metals Equilibrium Speciation
Model—MINTEQA2
This training course is designed for engineers, scientists,
and managers who perform and manage water quality moni-
toring activities. MINTEQA2 is a geochemical model that
is capable of calculating equilibrium aqueous speciation,
adsorption, gas phase partitioning, solid phase saturation
states, and precipitation-dissolution of metals. Included in
MINTEQA2 is an extensive thermodynamic database that
is adequate for solving many problems without need for
additional user-supplied thermodynamic data. Seven sorp-
tion models are available in MINTEQA2 for which the user
must supply the adsorption reactions including thermody-
namic constants.
The purpose of the training course is to provide participants
with the knowledge and experience to apply the MINTEQA2
model to a variety of environmental exposure assessment
problems for metals and to provide an understanding of
chemical and mathematical speciation equilibria in order to
eliminate "black box" interpretations of MINTEQA2 out-
puts. Specific objectives will be to demonstrate how to
relate environmental problems to MINTEQA2, how to en-
ter MINTEQA2 problems into the computer, and how to
interpret MINTEQA2 outputs.
Lectures will address solution and redox chemistries, solids
equilibria, and advanced theory. The course will also cover
case studies, including problems presubmitted by partici-
pants (these problems must be submitted a minimum of one
month before the course). In addition, actual experience in
applications of the MINTEQA2 model will be provided
through the "hands on" modeling of simple systems.
The following prerequisite is strongly suggested but is not
mandatory: experience with solution chemistry equilibria
and experience with an IBM-PC or compatible computer.
This workshop will be held August 18-20, 1992, (tenta-
tively) in Athens, Georgia, at the U.S. EPA Environmental
Laboratory. Registration will open June 29, 1992. There is
no registration fee.
Workshop on MULTIMED Model
The U.S. EPA Multimedia Exposure Assessment Model
(MULTIMED) simulates the movement of contaminants
leaching from a waste disposal facility. The model includes
two options for simulating leachate flux. Either the infiltra-
tion rate to the unsaturated or saturated zone can be speci-
fied directly or a landfill module can be used to estimate the
infiltration rate. The landfill module is one-dimensional and
steady-state, and simulates the effect of precipitation, run-
off, infiltration, evaporation, barrier layers (which can in-
clude flexible membrane liners), and lateral drainage. A
steady-state, one-dimensional semi-analytical module simu-
lates flow in the unsaturated zone. The output from this
module, water saturation as a function of depth, is used as
input to the unsaturated zone transport module. The latter
simulates transient, one-dimensional (vertical) transport in
the unsaturated zone and includes the effects of longitudinal
dispersion, linear adsorption and first-order decay. Output
from the unsaturated zone modules, i.e., steady-state or time
series contaminant concentrations at the water table, is used
to couple the unsaturated zone transport module. The latter
simulates transient one-dimensional uniform flow, three-
dimensional dispersion, linear adsorption, and groundwater
plume. Contamination of a surface stream due to the atmo-
sphere dispersion modules simulate the movement of chemi-
cals into the atmosphere.
The fate of contaminants in the various media depends on
the chemical properties of the contaminants as well as the
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number of media- and environment-specific parameters
quantified using the Monte Carlo simulation technique.
To enhance the user-friendly nature of the model, separate
interactive pre- and postprocessing software have been
developed for use in creating and editing input and in
plotting model output
The workshop is tentatively scheduled for September 14-
19,1992, atEPA's laboratory in Athens, Georgia. Registra-
tion will open on July 27,1992.
Risk and Decision-Making Courses Scheduled
The following is the schedule for the Risk and Decision-
Making Courses through June:
August 4-6 Region IX—San Francisco
The following is the schedule for the Risk Communication
Workshops through June:
May 19-21
June 22-24
June 23-24
Region IX—Honolulu
Region IX—Kauai
Headquarters
Contacts: Jim Cole (FTS 382-2747)
Marian Olsen (FTS 264-5682)
Contacts:
Jerome Puskin
Linda Tuxen
Dorothy Patton
Dick Hill
Don Barnes
Dean Hill
Maureen McClelland
Marian Olsen
Jeffrey Burke
Elmer Akin
Milt Clark
Jon Rauscher
Mary Williams
Suzanne Wuerthele
Arnold Den
Dana Davoli
OAR-RAD
ORD-OHEA
ORD-RAF
OPTS
SAB
NEIC
Region I
Region II
Region III
Region IV
Region V
Region VI
Region VII
Region VIII
Region IX
Region X
(202) 260-9640
(202) 260-5949
(202) 260-6743
(202) 260-2897
(202) 260-4126
(303) 236-8138
(617) 565-4885
(212) 264-5682
(215) 597-8327
(404) 347-1586
(312) 886-3388
(214) 655-8513
(913) 551-7415
(303) 293-0961
(415) 744-1018
(206) 442-2135
If you would like to receive additional copies of this and
subsequent Reviews or to be added to the mailing list
contact:
CERI Distribution
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
10
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