UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Region II, New York, New York 10278 DATE: January 29, 1991 SUBJECT: Risk Assessment Review TROM: William J. P.E. Deputy Regional Administrator William Farland, Ph.D. / / st\ 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 ------- January 1991 Highlights • The ORD Regional Scientist Program 1 • FY "90 Risk Training Plan 1 • Nonionizing Electric and Magnetic Fields 2 • FY'90 Risk Training Report 2 • Region X Toxicologist Three Month Sabbatical in Clinical Toxicology 3 L Special Features The ORD Regional Scientist Program by David S. Klauder, PhD, Director, Regional Operations Staff, FTS 382-7667 For the past ten months, the Office of Research and Development's (ORD's) Regional Operations Staff has run a column in the Risk Assessment Review on the ORD Regional Scientist Program. Nine regional scientists from nine different regions each wrote an article which featured some of the risk-related activities in which they have become involved while fulfilling their general mission of liaison between the region and ORD. I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles. The Regional Scientist Program is a two-year training program open to accomplished ORD employees seeking to better understand how ORD science and technology is and can be utilized in the EPA risk management process. The goals of this program are two-fold: (a) to provide opportu- nities for both the regions and ORD laboratories to work together to successfully develop scientifically and techno- logically sound environmental risk management actions, and (b) to provide career development opportunities for selected ORD employees. The program in its current for- mat is only three years old. It is still early to draw conclu- sions on how well these goals are being met. However, ORD is in the process of identifying and evaluating options for meeting these goals. One option under consideration is to expand the ORD Regional Scientist Program to allow interested and qualified regional staff to rotate into one of ORD's laboratories for up to a year. I would appreciate hearing from you. Have the articles written by the regional scientists been interesting? Would you like to see them continued? (Note: New regional scientists, who bring different talents and expertise to the regions and, therefore, will get involved in different activi- ties, have just started their assignments in Regions III, VIII, and X.) Have you had interactions with any of the ORD regional scientists that you would like to share? Do you have suggestions on how the Regional Scientist Pro- gram could be improved? Please call me at FTS 382-7667 or EMAIL EPA8016 with your comments and suggestions. (see Features, p. 2) Risk Assessment Review Committee BUI Farland—ORD, FTS 382-7317 Sally Edwards—Region I, FTS 835-3696 Maria Pavlova—Region II, FTS 264-7364 Marian Olsen—Region n, FTS 264-5682 Suzanne Wuerthele—Region Vin, FTS 330-1714 Dana Davoli—Region X, FTS 399-2135 FY'90 Risk Training Plan by WiUiam J. Muszynski, PJE. Co-Chair Risk Training Committee, FTS 264-0396 For the past five years, the Risk Training Committee which operates under the auspices of the Risk Assessment Council, has coordinated development and presentation of risk training to EPA and non-EPA staff. Chaired by Dan Beardsley, Acting Assistant Administrator of the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation and by me the member- ship includes representatives from each Program Office and Region III. At the last Risk Assessment Council meeting on Janu- ary 10, 1991, the Risk Training Committee's FY'90 ac- complishments and plans for FY*91 were presented. FY'90 was another banner year for risk training, with approxi- mately 4,100 people trained. It's projected that an addi- tional 4,500 people will be trained during FY'91. If that goal is met, more than 14,661 people will have participated in the program. (See the article on the Risk Training Report in this issue for further details.) As in prior years, FY'90 trainees included staff from EPA, state and local health and environmental agencies, governments from other nations, other federal agencies, and contractors. This impressive training effort is the result of the talent and expertise of EPA staff who organize, lecture and facilitate training work groups. In addition, the California Department of Health Services has co-facili- tated training in Region IX. Based on the continued training success, the Risk Training Committee recommended updating current courses, and expanding the curriculum to include ecologi- cal risk assessment training. The Council Chair Hank Habicht approved this recommendation and asked the Committee to work with the Council members to implement the recommendations. Over the next few months, the Training Committee will work to identify funds to update the current courses and develop new ecological courses. Future issues of the Risk Assessment Review will update the Committee's progress in meeting these goals. Dan and I would like to thank all the facilitators and members of the Risk Training Committee whose hard work and dedication has made this effort so successful. 1 ------- Features (continued from p.l) FY'90 Risk Training Report by Marian Olsen, EPA Region 11, FTS 264-5682 In FY'90, as in prior years, the Agency made significant progress in providing training to both EPA and non-EPA staff in the areas of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. Over 4,105 people were trained in FY'90 with a projection of 4,500 additional trainees in FY'91. This will raise the total number of trainees at the end of FY'91 to 14,661. Of special note in FY'91 is the tremendous outreach in providing training to staff from other federal agencies, state and local health and environmental agencies, universities, contractors, and other organizations. In FY'90, 49% of those trained were from EPA while 39% were from state and local health and environmental agencies; 5% from other federal agencies and 7% from universities, contractors, and other organizations. The success of the training program is possible through the continued dedication, talent and excellence of EPA's staff who provide the training through activities such as workgroup facilitation, lecturing and organizing presenta- tion. The facilitators excellent work have enabled the Agency to provide the training at a cost of less $100 per trainee. This training cost includes funds for course development and presentation. In FY'90 staff from the California Department of Health Services continued to participate as co-facilitators with EPA Region IX staff in providing the Workshop on Risk and Decision Making and the Comparative Risk Training course, respectively. As detailed in the FY'90 Report on Risk Training devel- oped by the Risk Training Committee the courses included: • Workshop on Risk and Decision-Making, the introduc- tory level course on the principles of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication that pro- vides the basis for other risk assessment courses of- fered by EPA. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), an intro- duction to the hands-on use of the IRIS and the applica- tion and use of IRIS data in a case study. • Risk Assessment Guidelines, including a Manager's Overview and specific courses on the 1986 Guidelines (carcinogens, mutagens, exposure assessment, devel- opmental toxicants and chemical mixtures). • Risk Communication Workshop, an overview of ap- proaches to risk communication characterized by a high degree of interaction in small group case discus- sions and role play situations. « Risk* Assistant, an introduction to the computer soft- ware package Risk*Assistant that aids in calculating risks associated with various exposure scenarios. • OERR Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, a five day training course in the application and use of the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response's Risk Assessment Guidance. • Comparative Risk Course, that trains participants in the methods used to evaluate the residual risk of a limited set of environmental problems as an analytical tool for improved environmental priority setting and planning. Additional training is also offered by the Office of Research and Development's Center for Exposure Assess- ment Modeling laboratory in Athens, Georgia, on advanced Exposure Assessment Models. The CEAM provides train- ing in stream water quality, water quality, metals, and estuarine wasteload. The Risk Training Committee's FY'90 Risk Training Report details the numbers of people attending these vari- ous courses taught by Headquarters and regional staff. In addition, the report also highlights the innovations and modifications to training developed in the presentation of training, non-EPA staff trained, costs associated with the delivery of training, and plans for FY'91. II. Headquarters Nonionizing Electric and Magnetic Fields by Linda Bailey, FTS 382-4114 The Nonionizing Electric and Magnetic Fields Subcom- mittee of the Science Advisory Board's Radiation Advisory Committee met on January 14-16,1991, to begin its review of a draft document entitled, "Evaluation of the Potential Carcinogenicity of Electromagnetic Fields," EPA/600/6- 90/005B. The meeting was open to the public. The document reviews and evaluates published infor- mation pertaining to the potential carcinogenicity of elec- tromagnetic (EM) fields. The information includes epidemiology studies, chronic lifetime animal tests, and laboratory studies of biological phenomena related to carci- nogenesis. While there are epidemiological studies that indicate an association between EM fields or their surro- gates and certain types of cancer, other epidemiological studies do not substantiate this association. There are in- sufficient data to determine whether a cause and effect relationship exists. The document clearly reveals the need for further research. Given the controversial and uncertain nature of the scientific findings of this report and other reviews of this subject, the external review draft should not be construed as representing Agency policy or position. The document will also be reviewed by the Federal Coordinate ing Council for Science, Engineering and Technology's (FCCSET's) Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and Policy Coordination (CIRRPQ. Based on these re- views, the draft report will be revised as necessary and EPA will provide an opportunity for public review and comment before developing the final version of the document The document is available from the U.S. EPA Center for Envi- ronmental Research Information (FTS 684-7562 or FAX FTS 684-7566). 2 ------- III. Around the Regions Publications of Interest Following is a list of documents of potential interest: • Summary Review of Health Effects Associated with Hydrogen Cyanide—Health Issue Assessment EPA/600/ 8-90/002F, published by the Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office of the Office of Research and Development in May 1990. • Air Quality Criteria for Lead: Supplement to the 1986 Addendum EPA/600/8-89/049F, published by the En- vironmental Criteria and Assessment Office of the Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, in August, 1990. • Noncarcinogenic Effects of Chromium—Update to Health Assessment Document EPA/600/8-87/048F, published by the Environmental Criteria and Assess- ment Office in the Office of Research and Develop- ment, Washington, DC, in April 1990. For additional information on these documents please contact the Center for Environmental Research Informa- tion, U.S. EPA, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincin- nati, Ohio 45268 or FTS 684-7562. Contact: Marian Olsen, FTS 264-5682 Region X Toxicologist Three Month Sabbatical in Clinical Toxicology As a regional toxicologist, I recently had the opportunity to spend a three-month rotational assignment in clinical toxicology at Denver's Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, the largest and best such facility in the world. The Center receives 350 calls a day from physicians, clinics, and the public, both nationally and internationally. Cases range from drug overdoses to snake bites, from occupational pesticide poisonings to suicide attempts. You name it, and it is seen by the Denver Center. The staff at the center includes two full-time clinical toxicologists who direct the center and oversee the various diagnostic and therapeutic activities that occur, as well as maintaining their own full-time practices at local hospitals. Three Fellows in clinical toxicology are also continually on call and save at the center for a period of two years. These physicians are board certified in emergency medicine and often in internal medicine or other specialities. Residents in emergency medicine, both domestic and foreign, often serve a month at the center on call, as part of their clinical toxicology training. Whenever a hospital admission in the Denver area has a diagnosis of a possible toxic agent or response, the team of "tox-docs" goes immediately to the patient for consultation with the admitting physician and advises a course of therapy and treatment. A staff of about 12 specially trained nurses are also continually on call at the "hot line," receiving incoming calls about poisoning cases. To be certified as Poison Information Specialists, each nurse must spend a year's internship in the job and log in 5,000 calls. I found the staff to be extremely bright, committed, intense people, and in my opjnion they were nothing less than the "creme-de-Ia- creme" of the medical world. My time at the center included lectures and classes twice a week on some aspect of clinical toxicology. Some of the lectures included snake envenomization, spider bites, poi- sonous plants, alcohol overdoses, cocaine, pharmacokinet- ics, organophosphate pesticides, organotins, carbon monoxide, oral hypoglycemic agents, acetaminophen, sa- licylates, haloperidon, clinical enhancement of drug elimi- nation, household products, holiday berries, bezoars, etc. In addition, each rotator has to present a didactic lecture during their time at the center, and I chose to present a talk on "palytoxin," which is an extremely potent toxin derived from tropical corals, which I worked on during my graduate school days in Honolulu long ago. I also gave a lecture on "A day in the life of an EPA toxicologist." On a weekly basis, each toxicologist selects a current article in the literature and critically presents it at the "journal club" meeting. I found this to be a very stimulating set of sessions and recommend it for all technical people in any setting. About three times a week, I also went on rounds with the MDs and visited patients in various stages of their hospitalization and progress. This was an eye opener, and I learned a great deal. The rest of my time was spent with the MDs, discussing case presentations two or three days a week, and occasionally acting as a consultant in cases having environmental or occupational components. I heartily recommend this type of training to other toxicologists and think it is very worthwhile to catch a brief, intense glimpse of the real world of acute poisoning and clear-cut risk. I have always believed that there should be an official "bridge" between such poison centers and EPA and hope that my time there might be part of the first step toward realizing such a goal. The Poison Centers encounter a large number of cases involving pesticides, "toxics," and other chemicals which we either (supposedly) regulate or should regulate better. I plan to use some of my training and some of the Poison Center database in strengthening many aspects of the Region X Comparative Risk Study and getting the Agency to focus more acutely on some of the REAL toxic problems which I have been lucky enough to have been immersed in for the last three months. For more information, including suggested readings to prepare for such an experience, please contact Michael Watson at FTS 399-1072. IV. Announcements Risk and Decision-Making Courses Scheduled The following is the schedule for the Risk and Decision- Making Courses through December February 26-27 Headquarters (OPPE) 3 ------- The following is the schedule for the Risk Communica- tion Workshops through December February 5-7 Region IX (San Francisco) February 26-27 Headquarters (OPPE) March 12-14 Region IX (San Francisco) March 26-27 Headquarters (OPPE) April 23-25 Region IX (San Francisco) May 21-23 Region IX (Honolulu, Hawaii) Contacts: Jim Cole, FTS 382-2747 Marian Olsen, FTS 264-5682 1991NPIRS User Conference—January 29-31, 1991 The Eighth Annual National Pesticide Information Re- trieval System (NPIRS) User Conference will be held Janu- ary 29 through January 31, 1991, at the Las Vegas Rivera Hotel. Conference topics will include: new EPA databases, current and future impacts of FEFRA-88, new NPIRS data- bases, using NPIRS, understanding PDMS, and federal government use of PEST-BANK. The conference will focus on how NPIRS can help the user deal with the new regulations and information. Speakers from several of the major regulatory and ad- visory agencies will cover the latest changes and issues affecting registration and regulation of pesticides and haz- ardous chemicals. For additional information on the conference, please contact Melba Samuels at (317) 4940-6615 or the Purdue University Continuing Education Business Office, Room 110, Steward Center, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907. Electromagnetic Radiation Workshop—January 30-31,1991 On January 30 and 31, 1991, the Centers for Disease Control's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will convene a Scientific Workshop in Cincinnati, Ohio, to develop a National Research Strategy on the Health Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation on Workers. The purpose of the workshop is to review current data and new findings regarding electromagnetic radiation that may have relevance for occupational exposures; iden- tify knowledge gaps that might be filled by directed research; and recommend a national research agenda that, if implemented, would close the gaps and permit reliable recommendations for protecting workers. The workshop will emphasize electric and magnetic fields at frequencies up to 1,000 Hz, excluding static fields, and carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological health effects. For information and registration forms, please contact the Electromagnetic Radiation Workshop, Project Coordi- nator (R-2), NIOSH, CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cin- cinnati, Ohio 45226; telephone (513) 841-4321. Radiation Protection Meeting—April 3-4,1991. The Annual Meeting of the National Council on Radia- tion Protection and Measurements will be held in Washing- ton, DC from April 3- 4, 1991. The principal scientific session of the meeting will be entitled "Genes, Cancer, and Radiation Protection." Further information is available from the National Council on Radiation Protection at 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 800, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Society for Risk Analysis Course New Directions in Risk Assessment—May 20-22,1991 The Society for Risk Analysis will hold its sixth annual course, "New Directions in Risk Assessment," on May 20- 22,1991, at the Hyatt Regency, Bethesda, Maryland. The intent of the course is to provide an introductory overview of methodologies, assumptions, and new research in risk assessment Lecturers will show how to perform and inter- pret risk assessments and how to use them in risk manage- ment Special emphasis will be given to new developments in pharmacokinetics, reproductive, immunological, and neurological risks. Lecturers will be Dr. Roy Albert, Profes- sor and Chairman of the Department of Environmental Health and Kettering Laboratory, University of Cincinnati; Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, President, Clement Associates, Inc.; Dr. Mildred Christian, President and Director, Argus Research Laboratories, Inc.; Dr. Vincent Covello, School of Public Health, Columbia University; Dr. Bernard Goldstein, Professor and Chairman, Environmental and Community Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Dr. Loren Koller, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University; Dr. Lester Lave, Graduate School of In- dustrial Administration, Carnegie-Mellon University; Dr. Paul Lioy, Robot Wood Johnson Medical School; Dr. Richard Reitz, Associate Scientist in Toxicology, COT; Dr. Ellen Silbergeld, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Curtis Travis, Director, Office of Risk Analysis, Oak Ridge Na- tional Laboratory; Dr. Chris Whipple, Clement Interna- tional. For further information please call Dr. Curtis Travis, Workshop Director at (615) 576-2107 or Mary Oran, Workshop Coordinator at (615) 376-9626. National Center for Health Statistics Meeting— July 15-17,1991 The National Center for Health Statistics has issued a call to papers for the biennial Public Health Conference on Records and Statistics to be held in Washington, DC, July 15-17,1991. The focus of the 1991 conference will be interactions between the nation's health agenda few the coming decade and the health statistics that will be needed to plan and monitor the public health programs. Papers will be considered for presentation under three broad themes: data systems for the nation's health agenda, assessment of community health, and new concepts for the decade of the 1990s. 4 ------- The deadline for submitting applications for presentations is February 8,1991. For additional information, please contact: Nancy Ham- ilton, NCHS, PHCRS, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 1100, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782. American Public Health Association Meeting— November 10-14,1991 The American Public Health Association is calling for abstracts for proposed presentations for its 119th Annual Meeting to be held November 10-19, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia. The theme for the meeting is "Public Health and a National Health Program." To be eligible for consideration for the Atlanta meeting, abstracts must be received by March 11,1991. Authors of papers accepted for presentation at the Atlanta meeting will be notified in June. Abstracts may not be withdrawn after June 30. Included in the sections for the meeting are the follow- ing of special interest to risk assessors. Environment. The environment section invites papers for sessions, posters, and roundtables addressing all areas related to the environment Particular attention will be given to thane and non-theme topics focusing on the fol- lowing issues: changing federal, state, and local government roles in environmental protection and regulation; reducing environmental (ecological and human health) risk; risk assessment and the regulatory system; international envi- ronmental health and impacts; pollution prevention, and toxic use reduction; community and school environmental education; air toxics; solid waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle); impacts of global climate change and ozone depletion; race, poverty, and the environment. An award will be given for the best student poster session presenta- tion. Abstracts should be submitted to: Dr. Rebecca Head, Washtenaw County ECO, 301 Courthouse, PO Box 8645, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107-8645. Occupational Health and Safety. The Occupational Health and Safety Section welcomes abstracts in all areas of occupational health. Topics of special interest include: in- ternational occupational health; surveillance of occupational diseases and injuries; advances in clinical occupational health; OSHA reform; uses of computers in teaching occu- pational and environmental health; and the integration of occupational health into a national health program. For further information, please contact: Dr. Steven Markowitz, Ml Sinai Medical Center, Box 1057, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, N. Y. 10029. Radiological Health. The Radiological Health Section invites abstracts that focus on all areas of radiological health. Basic science and clinical papers are both welcome. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, indoor radon and developments in diagnostic radiology. Special interest sessions are also invited. Session orga- nizers should submit a brief description of the proposed session, topics, schedule, and identification of presenters. For additional information please contact: Ronald G. Kaczmarek, HFZ-116, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 12200 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Hazardous Materials Control Research Institute Meetings The Hazardous Materials Control Research Institute will be holding a number of conferences over the coming year. A summary of these conferences is provided below by date and topic. • February 20-22,1991, National Research and Devel- opment Conference on the Control of Hazardous Mate- rials to be held in Anaheim, California. • April 24-26, 1991 HMC—South '91 Conference and Exhibition to be held in Houston, Texas. • July 10-12, 1991 HMC—Northeast '91 Conference and Exhibition to be held in Boston, Massachusetts. • July 10-12,1991—Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant Sludge Management Conference to be held in Boston, Massachusetts. • September 1991—HMC-Great Lakes '91 Conference (location to be announced). • December 4-6,1991—Superfund *91 Conference and Exhibition to be held in Washington, DC. For additional information on these conferences, please contact the Hazardous Materials Control Research Institute at 9300 Columbia Boulevard, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-1702 or (301) 587-9390. Case Studies in Environmental Medicine The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is offering a continuing education course "Case Studies in Environmental Medicine." The self-instructional case studies are designed to guide physicians and other health professionals through the diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of patients exposed to hazardous substances. The case study package includes a case report on a specific hazard, pre-test questions, and a summary of current information on the chemistry, toxicology, symptomatology, and patient treatment A series of questions allows practi- tioners to test their understanding of the material. After completing the case study, participants may apply for CME, CEUs, or contact hours. The first study to be distributed is on lead. Additional case studies include: vinyl chloride, chromium, methylene chloride, arsenic, cadmium, dioxins, tetrachloroethylene, PCBs, asbestos, PAHs, benzene, cyanide, radon, and tri- chloroethylene. These will be sent to participants on a monthly basis. Participation in the course is free. To register, contact: ATSDR, Division of Health Education, (404) 639-0734. 5 ------- Contacts: Jerome Puskin OAR-RAD FTS 475-9640 Linda Tuxen ORD-OHEA FTS 382-5949 Dorothy Patton ORD-RAF FTS 475-6743 Dick Hill OPTS FTS 382-2897 Don Barnes SAB FTS 382-4126 Dean Hill NEIC FTS 776-8138 Sally Edwards Region I FTS 835-3696 Marian Olsen Region II FTS 264-5682 Jeffrey Burke Region m FTS 597-1177 Elmer Akin Region IV FTS 257-1586 Milt Clark Region V FTS 886-3388 Jon Rauscher Region VI FTS 255-6715 Bob Fenemore Region VII FTS 757-2970 Suzanne Wuerthele Region VIII FTS 330-1731 Arnold Den Region IX FTS 484-1018 Dana Davoli Region X FTS 399-2135 Need Help? If your office needs help in finding information or assistance on a specific risk assessment problem, you can announce that need on the Risk Assessment/Risk Management Bulletin Board now available on E-Mail. Your colleagues from other offices who have informa- tion or advice will be able to contact you with assis- tance. For assistance in posting announcements or reading entries on the Bulletin Board, type PRPOST at the > prompt and identify RISK as the Category. Your colleagues from other offices who have information or advice will be able to contact you with assistance. For additional information please contact Marian Olsen at FTS 264-5682. 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 4S268 6 ------- |