A Message from the IRIS Program June 2020 The IRIS Program is committed to producing assessments in a timely and transparent manner. Table 1 describes assessments that are currently in development and their projected milestone dates. The IRIS Program is providing this information for stakeholders to be aware of upcoming products, and to allow the public and research community an opportunity to communicate relevant research to EPA. The anticipated dates are based on several factors, including complexity of the assessment products and the availability of resources. Initial estimates are informed by factors such as size of a chemical's evidence base and staff availability. Changes to these initial estimates are typically the result of internal, public, and/or peer review comments on the scientific issues unique to each chemical assessment, and the availability of staff with the appropriate expertise to address those issues. Generally, single quarter shifts are the result of cascading changes to review, revision, and posting timelines of assessment products. While projected dates reflect the IRIS Program's best estimate based on available information, they are subject to change. The IRIS Program Outlook will be updated three times each calendar year. Additionally, the IRIS Program has added information regarding other pertinent products and activities in Table 2. 1 ------- Table 1. IRIS Program Outlook - June 2020 Current Status Assessment Next Anticipated Public Step(s) Projected Fiscal Year Quarter Post-Peer Review Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE)1 Step 7: Final FY20 - Q4 tert-Butyl Alcohol1 Step 7: Final FY20 - Q4 Draft Development Arsenic, Inorganic Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released Mav 28. 2019. NAS review meeting Julv 16, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY22 - Q2 Step 4: External Peer Review FY22 - Q4 Chromium VI Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released March 15, 2019. Public Science Meeting April 24, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY21 - Q4 Step 4: External Peer Review FY22 - Q1 Chloroform (Inhalation) Step 1: IRIS Assessment Plan Released September 18, 2017. Public Meeting on September 27, 2017. Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released January 31, 2018. Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY21 - Q3 Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q4 Step 1: IRIS Assessment Plan Released April 4, 2019. Public Science Meeting Mav 15, 2019. Methylmercury Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released Mav 26, 2020 Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY23 - Q3 Step 4: External Peer Review FY24 - Q1 2 ------- Current Status Assessment Next Anticipated Public Step(s) Projected Fiscal Year Quarter Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs; noncancer)2 Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on December 19, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY24 - Q2 Step 4: External Peer Review FY24 - Q4 Draft Development Perfluorononanoate (PFNA) Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on November 8, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft3 FY21 - Q3 Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q3 Perfluorobutyrate (PFBA) Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on November 8, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft3 FY21-Q1 Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q2 Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on November 8, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft3 FY21-Q2 Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q3 Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS) Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on November 8, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft3 FY21 - Q3 Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q3 Perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol Released on November 8, 2019. Step 4: Public Comment Draft3 FY21-Q3 3 ------- Current Status Assessment Next Anticipated Public Step(s) Projected Fiscal Year Quarter Step 4: External Peer Review FY21 - Q3 Scoping and Problem Inorganic Mercury salts Step 1: IRIS Assessment Plan Released October 8, 2019. Public Formulation Science Meeting December 5, 2019. Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol FY20 - Q4 Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY22 - Q1 Step 4: External Peer Review FY22 - Q3 Vanadium and Compounds (Oral) Step 1: IRIS Assessment Plan FY20 - Q4 Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol FY21-Q1 Step 4: Public Comment Draft FY22 - Q1 Step 4: External Peer Review FY22 - Q2 Vanadium and Compounds (Inhalation) Step 1: IRIS Assessment Plan TBD Step 1: Systematic Review Protocol TBD Step 4: Public Comment Draft TBD Step 4: External Peer Review TBD 1ETBE and tert-Butyl Alcohol completed peer review by EPA's Science Advisory Board in February 2019. 2EPA anticipates convening a workshop/meeting on mixture modeling and tools in FY21 to inform assessment development. 3Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) assessments under development are in support of EPA's PFAS Action Plan: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas- action-plan. In addition to the PFAS IRIS assessments listed in Table 1, EPA is developing assessments on the potential health effects associated with two other PFAS compounds, GenX chemicals and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). For more information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/genx-and-pfbs-draft- toxicitv-assessments. The release of draft PFBA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA assessments for public comment addresses a Priority Action in EPA's PFAS Action Plan. 4 ------- Table 2. Other Upcoming IRIS Products or Activities Product or Activity Next Anticipated Public Step(s) Projected Fiscal Year Quarter ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments ("IRIS Handbook") Public Comment FY20 - Q.4 External Peer Review FY21-Q1 5 ------- |