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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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