EPA-820-N-21-001
SEPA	Fall 2021
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
FSTRAC
Newsletter
FEDERAL-STATE TOXICOLOGY RISK ANALYSIS COMMITTEE
What Is FSTRAC?
FSTRAC's mission is to strengthen relationships and cooperation among EPA, states and tribes through
the exchange of technical information primarily regarding water-related human health and risk assess-
ment and also share information on ecological effects related to water quality criteria. FSTRAC is composed
of current representatives from governmental agencies (state, tribal, federal health and environmental
agencies, and other regulatory authorities) and representatives from the Association of State Drinking
Water Administrators (ASDWA) and the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA). The goal of
FSTRAC is to share information that supports the development of well-rounded, integrated approaches to
effects assessment, risk assessment, risk management, risk communication, and standard-setting for drink-
ing water, groundwater, and surface water contaminants. Specific objectives of FSTRAC include:
•	To foster cooperation, consistency, and an understanding of goals and problems in human health and
ecological risk assessment for contaminants in water.
•	To allow the exchange of technical information, including toxicity/exposure data and analysis, and
methodologies and assumptions related to the development and implementation of regulations, criteria,
advisories, and other toxicity values under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, and
other state and tribal rules and policies as applicable.
•	To allow the exchange of information on research priorities and results.
•	To share science policy concerns regarding water-related human health and ecological risk assessment.
Recent Webinars
FSTRAC holds several webinars each year to share
information through presentations and discussions
regarding human health risk analysis and water qual-
ity issues.
April 2021
HECD Priorities in FY 2021 (presented by Ms. Elizabeth
(Betsy) Behl, HECD/OST/OW/EPA) Ms. Behl described
the priorities of the new administration, including
environmental justice and equity, climate change, and
restoring the role of science. She described EPA OST/
HECD's priorities for the fiscal year and accomplish-
ments since late January 2021. Ms. Behl described
some of EPA OST/HECD's FY 2021 priorities for
work under both the Clean Water Act and the Safe
Drinking Water Act including publishing final lake
nutrient criteria and working with states on their
specific efforts using the new approach; completing
external peer review of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) draft aquatic
The purpose of this newsletter is to update Federal-State Toxicology and Risk Analysis Committee (FSTRAC) members
on current developments in toxicology, risk analysis, and water quality criteria and standards. This newsletter also
provides information on recent FSTRAC webinars and upcoming events. Please share this newsletter with those who
may be interested in these topics. If you are interested in joining FSTRAC, please contact the FSTRAC Co-Chairs,
Dr. Shamima Akhter (Akhter.Shamima@epa.gov) or Ms. Katie Fallace (Katie.Fallace@state.mn.us).

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life criteria; and finalizing the toxicity assessment
for GenX chemicals. Other important goals for OST/
HECD are completing external peer review of the
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
(CRADA) Phase I report, updating toxicity values for
cancer and noncancer-driven chemicals for the Six-
Year Review of Drinking Water Standards, developing
the Five-Year Review of the 2012 Recreational Water
Quality Criteria, critical elements reviews, biological
condition gradient development, and reviewing the
biosolids risk assessment approach.
Incorporating New Approach Methodologies in Risk
Assessments (presented by Dr. Maureen Gwinn, CCTE/
ORD/EPA) Dr. Gwinn mentioned that New Approach
Methodologies (NAMs) commonly include in silico
approaches, in chemico and in vitro assays, as well
as the inclusion of information from the exposure
of chemicals in the context of hazard assessment.
She noted that incorporating new technologies and
innovations in toxicology can more rapidly and
inexpensively screen chemicals for potential adverse
effects. Dr. Gwinn described potential challenges with
NAMs, including incomplete coverage of important
pathways, limited higher order interactions, limited
or lack of relevant metabolism, and addressing uncer-
tainties. She mentioned that EPA has made great
advances in the development of NAMs for filling
information gaps for decision-making and integrating
those tools and data streams into chemical risk assess-
ment. Dr. Gwinn noted that EPA has worked with
other stakeholders to leverage resources and develop
NAMs that can support different regulatory contexts.
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4 & 5)
Update (presented by Ms. Rebecca Flynn, OGWDW/OW/
EPA) Ms. Flynn provided an overview of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulatory processes
and the UCMR Program. She noted that required
assessment monitoring for 30 chemicals (consisting
of cyanotoxins, metals, pesticides, a pesticide man-
ufacturing byproduct, brominated haloacetic acid
disinfection byproduct groups, alcohols, semivolatile
organic chemicals, and contaminant indicators) was
performed for UCMR 4 between January 2018 and
December 2020, and that the dataset will be finalized
in early 2022. Ms. Flynn summarized data from the
tenth data release for UCMR 4. She mentioned that
manganese was detected in 2% of the public water sys-
tems at concentrations greater than 300 ng/L, and that
manganese was detected in 89% of the public water
systems at concentrations greater than the method
reporting limit of 0.5 ng/L. She noted that the UCMR
5 proposal was published on March 11, 2021 (86 FR
13846) and it includes proposed monitoring for 30
contaminants (29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) and lithium).
Potential of Manganese-induced Neurologic Harm to Formula
Fed Infants (presented by Drs. Deanna Scher, Kristine Klos,
and Helen Goeden, Minnesota Department of Health) Drs.
Deanna Scher, Kristine Klos, and Helen Goeden
mentioned that infants are at the greatest risk for
overexposure to manganese because their brains are
rapidly developing, they have higher absorption and
lower elimination rates than older children or adults,
and they have higher fluid intake rates. The Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH) analyzed manganese
levels in powdered infant formula, evaluated manga-
nese levels in Minnesota's community public water
(CPW) systems, and assessed combined exposure and
potential risk to formula-fed infants. The presenters
noted that concentrations of manganese in formula
were up to five times higher than what was reported
on the labels. CPW system concentrations commonly
exceeded MDH's health-based guidance (>100 ng/L)
and formulas also often contained high levels of man-
ganese, potentially leaving no room for contribution
from water. They highlighted the need for the EPA
and the FDA to work together to address the potential
risk from manganese to formula fed infants.
Overview of the Manganese Health Risk Assessment;
Drinking Water Standards for Manganese (presented by
Mr. Brandon Kernen and Dr. Jonathan Ali, New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services) Mr. Kernen and
Dr. Ali described the basis of the EPA Manganese
Health Advisory Level of 0.3 mg/L, as well as the New
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
(NHDES) proposed manganese drinking water value
of 0.1 mg/L for infants. They mentioned that by July 1,
2022, NHDES is proposing to require water systems to
meet 0.3 mg/L as an enforceable drinking water stan-
dard for manganese, and to implement routine public
notification to customers when manganese exceeds 0.1
mg/L. The presenters noted that some people in New
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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Hampshire are currently exposed to manganese at
levels not considered safe based on monitoring results
and recent assessments performed by NHDES, Health
Canada, and Minnesota, and guidance from EPA. The
presenters recommended that manganese, in addition
to PFAS and arsenic, be considered in the process of
evaluating drinking water treatment options.
Class-Based Assessments for Drinking Water Contaminants
with Limited Toxicity (presented by Mr. Bradley Lampe, NSF
International) Mr. Lampe mentioned that NSF proposes
total allowable concentrations (TACs) for drinking
water contaminants that are extracted from the prod-
ucts that they certify. These TACs are identified by
conducting quantitative risk assessments, in which
relevant toxicology studies are critically evaluated.
However, according to NSF's Standard for Health
Effects Evaluation and Criteria for Chemicals in
Drinking Water, quantitative risk assessments cannot
be performed with limited data (e.g., no mutagen-
icity or clastogenicity data, no subchronic repeated
dose study). In cases where these data are not avail-
able, NSF has recently incorporated alternative risk
assessment approaches including category-based read-
across evaluations, quantitative structure-activity
relationship (QSAR) approaches, and threshold of tox-
icological concern (TTC)-based approaches. During
the presentation, Mr. Lampe provided examples of
how NSF incorporated these assessment approaches in
recent risk assessments for benzothiazole, alkyl-sub-
stituted urea compounds, Epoxy F, and perfluorinated
carbon tracer compounds.
September 2021
HECD Priorities in FY 2022 (presented by Ms. Elizabeth
(Betsy) Behl, HECD/OST/OW/EPA) Ms. Behl described
EPA OST/HECD's recent accomplishments, including
developing brochures on biological condition gradients
(BCGs) and bioassessment program reviews; updating
both the FSTRAC and Nutrient Scientific Technical
Exchange Partnership & Support (N-STEPS) Online
webpages; developing a problem formulation for
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane
sulfonate (PFOS) in biosolids; publishing user percep-
tion survey methods for nutrient pollution; completing
external peer review of draft PFOA and PFOS
aquatic life criteria; and developing a cyanotoxins
3
preparedness and response toolkit. EPA OST/HECD's
priorities for FY 2022 are to work on BCG develop-
ment in Massachusetts Bays, Central Great Plains,
and the Pacific Maritime Region; support state-specific
evaluations of new lake criteria; release draft PFOA
and PFOS aquatic life criteria for public comment;
publish the final GenX human health toxicity assess-
ment; draft the five-year review of the 2012 recreational
water quality criteria; hold a EPA Science Advisory
Board review of biosolids risk assessment approaches;
develop updated whitepapers to support an SAB
review of approaches to developing MCLGs for PFOA
and PFOS; and develop a TSM for assessing risk from
non-human fecal sources in recreational waters.
2021 Update to the Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides
(HHBPs) (presented by Ms. Adrienne Keel, HECD/OST/OW/
EPA) Ms. Keel explained that HHBPs are levels at or
below which adverse health effects are not anticipated
from one-day to lifetime exposure to pesticides in
water. She noted that there are now HHBPs for a total
of 430 pesticides and that they reflect the latest sci-
entific information. HHBPs include 24 non-food use
pesticides for which oral toxicity data are available. Ms.
Keel described the methods that EPA used to derive
HHBPs. Next steps include expanding the HHBPs for
other pesticides, including cancelled and withdrawn
pesticides, and providing future updates to HHBPs by
incorporating new information on pesticide toxicity
and exposure factors as it becomes available.
A Look at Fish Consumption: An Opportunity for
Collaboration between States, Tribes and EPA (presented by
Mr. Michael Bolt, Office of Environment & Natural Resources,
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) Mr. Bolt noted that
many tribes have treaty rights to harvest fish and
hunt outside of reservation lands and that many of
these treaty rights date back to the early 1800s. He
mentioned that if a tribe has treaty rights to harvest
fish for a given area, fish consumption levels need
to meet an appropriate standard to protect Native
American cultural practices or traditions. Mr. Bolt
recommended that care be taken when setting fish
consumption standards to include information on
more at risk populations (e.g., pregnant women, chil-
dren), populations (tribes) who are more culturally
dependent on that food source, socio-economic fac-
tors, and seasonality of harvest. He noted that EPA
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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4
has put out a white paper regarding revisions to water
quality standards and the protection of tribal reserve
rights, and that it will undergo a public comment
period and possible revision in the future.
Microplastics Health Workgroup Findings (presented by Dr.
Scott Coffin, California EPA/State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB)) Dr. Coffin mentioned that plastic pol-
lution has increased exponentially since the f950s. He
noted that the requirements of California Senate Bill
f422 (2018) included defining microplastics, develop-
ing a standard methodology, developing a health-based
guidance level, monitoring in drinking water for
four years, and accrediting laboratories. He noted
that SWCRB had worked with other organizations to
develop a framework for a health-based guidance level.
They also evaluated the feasibility of developing health-
based guidance level(s) and found that the quality of
the data (i.e., inadequate effects database, unknown
effects mechanisms, and incomplete exposure data)
does not currently support developing a guidance
level for regulatory purposes. They estimated an ini-
tial sampling volume that should be used for source
waters and also made recommendations for concen-
trations that should be evaluated in toxicity studies.
Canadian Regulatory Perspective: Consideration of
Toxicokinetic Data in Dose Selection for Toxicity Studies
(presented by Ms. Catherine Adcock, Health Canada) Ms.
Adcock provided a general overview of the Canadian
regulatory authorities responsible for regulating prod-
ucts, as well as the data requirements for pre-market
and post-market products. She noted that evidence-in-
formed approaches are used to identify the dose range
for mammalian toxicity studies, and that the choice
of dose range can impact the maximum safe starting
dose for human clinical trials and points of departure
for assessing risks to types of products that rely pri-
marily on animal toxicity data. Ms. Adcock described
how toxicokinetic data were used in Health Canada's
assessments for two pesticides (afidopyropen and bro-
flanilide). She concluded that toxicokinetic data must
be robust enough to clearly define the point at which
metabolic processes are overwhelmed and that Health
Canada continues to support the role of toxicokinetic
data in the selection of doses and design of animal
toxicity studies.
Nitrate in Drinking Water during Pregnancy and Spontaneous
Preterm Birth: A Retrospective Within-Mother Analysis
in California (presented by Dr. Allison Sherris, Stanford
University) Dr. Sherris mentioned that nitrate was
the second most common cause of drinking water
violations in California from 2000-2020. Her study
aimed to investigate the association between nitrate
in drinking water during pregnancy and spontaneous
preterm birth. The initial data and study population
for her study consisted of nearly all California births
from 2000-2011, from which she identified a sample
of 1.4 million sibling births. Nitrate concentrations
in tap water during pregnancy were estimated using
public monitoring records. Dr. Sherris performed a
sibling-matched analysis and found that there was a
50% increase in early spontaneous preterm birth (20-
31 weeks of gestation) risk among births with medium
(> 5 mg/L and < 10 mg/L) nitrate exposure and a
250% increase in risk among births with high (> 10
mg/L) nitrate exposure, relative to siblings with lower
nitrate exposure (<5 mg/L). Smaller associations were
observed between nitrate exposure and spontaneous
preterm birth at 32-36 weeks of gestation.
November 2021
Release of the Final Human Health Toxicity Assessment
for Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid and Its
Ammonium Salt (CASRN13252-13-6 and CASRN 62037-
80-3), also Known as "GenX Chemicals" (presented by
Dr. Brittany Jacobs, HECD/OST/OW/EPA) Dr. Jacobs
described the final human health toxicity assessment
for GenX chemicals. She noted that GenX is a trade
name for a processing aid technology used to make
high-performance fluoropolymers without the use
of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). She described the
history and scope of the toxicity assessment for the
two major GenX chemicals. Since the 2018 public
review draft, the critical study used as the basis of the
RfD did not change, but two main factors resulted in
changes to the final 2021 toxicity values:
•	National Toxicology Program's (NTP's)
Pathology Working Group's (PWG's) expert
review recommended a different liver effects
classification and different endpoint grouping
•	Revised uncertainty factors based on new data
and new analyses (e.g., NTP PWG)
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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5
She noted that the toxicity values (RfDs) are a key
building block of risk assessments for these GenX
chemicals, along with exposure information and other
important considerations. Dr. Jacobs mentioned that
the next step is for EPA to develop a Drinking Water
Health Advisory for GenX, as described in EPA's PFAS
Strategic Roadmap, released in October 2021.
Information from States Developing Guidance for Specific Chemicals
Criteria Values
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
MDH has recently completed water guidance for
1,2-dichloropropane. Chemicals currently under
full toxicology review include: lithium; M-hexane;
perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); chlorothalonil and
degradate 4-Hydoxychlorothalonil; and 1,2-dibro-
momethane. MDH has also started reviewing
perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) as part of its pro-
gram to re-evaluate existing water guidance values.
More detailed information on MDH water guidance
values can be found on MDH's Human
Health-Based Water Guidance Table website at https://
www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/
risk/guidance/gw/table.html.
MDH's risk assessment team has also completed 12
pesticide rapid assessments in 2021. MDH develops
Pesticide Rapid Assessments for pesticide contami-
nants that do not have MDH water guidance or EPA
MCLs using a shortened review process. Documents
that more thoroughly describe MDH's Pesticide Rapid
Assessment methodology and report the results of
these assessment are available at
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/
environment/risk/guidance/dwec/rapidpest.html.
Technical Information
Status of Chapters in EPA's Exposure Factors
Handbook (2011 Edition)
The latest edition of the entire Exposure Factors
Handbook was released in 2011, but since October
2017, EPA has begun to release chapter updates indi-
vidually. This new process allows risk assessors to get
the latest information as new data becomes available
and is compiled. EPA ORD is currently working to
complete the update to Chapter 15. Human Milk
Intake. The estimated time for completion is sometime
in FY22. More information on individual chapters
can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/expobox/
about-exposure-factors-handbook.
Risk Assessment
IRIS Final Assessments Released
EPA IRIS recently announced the release of final tox-
icological reviews published in August 2021 for ethyl
tertiary butyl ether and tert-butyl alcohol. Please visit
the following EPA IRIS webpages to access these final
assessments:
•	IRIS Assessment of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
(ETBE)
•	IRIS Assessment of tert-Butyl Alcohol (tBA)
Drinking Water
EPA's Draft Fifth Drinking Water Contaminant
Candidate List (CCL 5)
On July 19, 2021, EPA published the Draft Fifth
Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 5) (86 FR 37948).
The Draft CCL 5 represents the latest list of drinking
water contaminants that are currently not subject
to any proposed or promulgated national primary
drinking water regulations, that are known or antic-
ipated to occur in public water systems, and which
may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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6
Act (SDWA). In developing the Draft CCL 5, EPA
considered the nominations received from the public
in response to the agency's 2018 request to identify
chemicals, microbes or other potential drinking water
contaminants. The draft list includes 66 chemicals, 3
chemical groups (PFAS, cyanotoxins, and disinfection
byproducts) and 12 microbes, which were selected
from a chemical universe and microbial universe of
chemicals used in commerce, pesticides, biological
toxins, disinfection byproducts, and waterborne
pathogens. EPA released the Draft CCL 5 that includes
improvements implemented in the CCL 5 process to
public comment. The public comment period closed
on September 17, 2021. Copies of the public com-
ments received on the Draft CCL 5 are available in the
docket folder for EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0594.
To develop the Draft CCL 5, EPA followed the step-
wise process first used to develop the CCL 3. This
process was based on recommendations from the
Science Advisory Board (SAB), National Academy of
Science's National Research Council, and National
Drinking Water Advisory Council. The process steps
include (1) building a broad universe, (2) screening
the universe to identify a Preliminary Contaminant
Candidate List (PCCL), and (3) evaluating PCCL
contaminants to select the Draft CCL 5. In this cycle,
EPA improved the CCL development process in
response to comments from the SAB and the public
on prior CCLs. These improvements included using
new approaches to rapidly screen a significantly
larger universe of chemicals for the CCL 5, prioritiz-
ing data most relevant to drinking water exposure,
and enhancing evaluations of sensitive populations,
including children. These improvements resulted in a
Draft CCL 5 that can better support prioritization of
contaminants for regulatory evaluation and research.
Early next year, EPA plans to consult with the SAB
on the Draft CCL 5; a date has not been set. For more
information about the SAB consultation, please see
the SAB webpage. EPA will consider SAB feedback
and public comments in developing the Final CCL 5.
For more details about the CCL 5, please visit https://
www.epa.gov/ ccl/contaminant- candidate-list-5 - ccl-5.
California Environmental Protection Agency
Public Health Goals for PFOA and PFOS in
Drinking Water
The California Environmental Protection Agency's
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA) in July released for public comment the
draft Public Health Goals (PHGs) for PFOA and
perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking
water. A PHG is the concentration of a contaminant
in drinking water that is estimated to pose no signif-
icant health risk to individuals consuming the water
on a daily basis over a lifetime. PHGs are based solely
on health effects and are used to provide scientific
guidance to the State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB) in setting regulatory standards for drink-
ing water. These standards, also known as Maximum
Contaminant Levels (MCLs), must be set as close to the
corresponding PHGs as is economically and techno-
logically feasible. The proposed PHGs are 0.007 parts
per trillion (ppt) for PFOA, based on kidney cancer in
humans, and 1 ppt for PFOS, based on cancer in lab-
oratory animals. OEHHA also developed noncancer
health-protective concentrations of 3 ppt for PFOA
based on liver toxicity in humans and 2 ppt for PFOS
based on increased total cholesterol in humans. The
comment period for the proposed PHGs closed on
October 28, 2021 and the draft PHGs will now undergo
external scientific peer review. After the external peer
review, OEHHA will consider comments received both
from the public and the external peer reviewers, revise
the draft document as appropriate, and release the
second public review draft for comment. After review
of all comments received and any subsequent revi-
sions, OEHHA will post the final PHGs on its PFOA
and PFOS in Drinking Water website, along with a
companion document containing responses to major
comments from the public and external peer reviewers.
California Environmental Protection Agency
Notification Level Recommendations for
Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water
OEHHA submitted to the SWRCB notification level
(NL) recommendations for cyanotoxins in drinking
water. NLs are precautionary, nonregulatory health-
based levels for drinking water contaminants that
warrant notification and further monitoring and
assessment when exceeded. The NL recommendation
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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7
of 4 parts per billion (ppb) for anatoxin-a is based
on neurotoxicity. Interim NL recommendations
were submitted for saxitoxins (0.6 ppb, based on
neurotoxicity), microcystins (0.03 ppb, based on
spermatotoxicity), and cylindrospermopsin (0.3 ppb,
based on liver toxicity). These recommendations are
currently being considered by SWRCB's Division of
Drinking Water.
Publications Pertinent to Drinking Water Issues
Human Health Toxicity Values for PFBS
In April 2021, EPA announced the release of the final
Human Health Toxicity Values for Perfluorobutane
Sulfonic Acid (CASRN 375-73-5) and Related
Compound Potassium Perfluorobutane Sulfonate
(CASRN 29420-49-3). PFBS is a member of a larger
group of PFAS. The toxicity assessment is a written
summary of the potential health effects associated
with PFBS and identifies the dose levels at which
those health effects may occur in order to calculate
toxicity values. Please visit the Human Health Toxicity
Assessment for PFBS webpage to access the final
assessment: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/
learn-about-human-health-toxicity-assessment-pfbs.
PFAS Strategic Roadmap
On October 18, 2021, EPA Administrator Michael
S. Regan announced the agency's PFAS Strategic
Roadmap that describes the agency's approach to
addressing PFAS. The roadmap sets timelines by which
EPA plans to take specific actions and commits to
bolder new policies to safeguard public health, protect
the environment, and hold polluters accountable. The
actions described in the PFAS Roadmap each represent
important and meaningful steps to safeguard commu-
nities from PFAS contamination. Cumulatively, these
actions will build upon one another and lead to more
enduring and protective solutions. For more informa-
tion on EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap, please visit:
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-
epas-commitments-action-2021-2024
Human Health Toxicity Assessment for GenX
Chemicals
In November 2021, EPA finalized the human health
toxicity assessment for Hexafluoropropylene Oxide
(HFPO) Dimer Acid and its Ammonium Salt. HFPO
dimer acid and its ammonium salt are also known
as "GenX chemicals" because they are the two major
chemicals associated with the GenX processing aid
technology. GenX is a trade name for a processing
aid technology used to make high-performance
fluoropolymers without the use of PFOA. Please
visit the Human Health Toxicity Assessments for
GenX Chemicals webpage to access the final assess-
ment: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/
human-health-toxicity-assessments-genx-chemicals
Science Advisory Board Review of Analyses
Supporting EPA's National Primary Drinking
Water Regulation for PFAS Submitted for
Science Advisory Board Review
On November 16, 2021, EPA asked the agency's
Science Advisory Board (SAB) to review draft scien-
tific documents supporting EPA's National Primary
Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFAS (see
EPA press release: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/
epa-advances-science-protect-public-pfoa-and-pfos-
drinking-water). A Notification of Public Meetings
of the SAB PFAS Review Panel has been published
in the Federal Register (86 FR 62526, November 10,
2021). The public meetings of the SAB PFAS Review
Panel will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021,
from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Tuesday,
January 4, 2022, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time), Thursday, January 6, 2022, from 12:00
noon to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), and Friday, January
7, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Please refer to the SAB website at https://sab.epa.gov
for details on how to access the meetings.
Under the SDWA, EPA has the authority to set
enforceable National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations (NPDWRs) for drinking water con-
taminants and require monitoring of public water
supplies. In March 2021, EPA published the Fourth
Regulatory Determinations, including a final deter-
mination to regulate Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
and Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking
water. The national primary drinking water regulation
for PFOA and PFOS Proposed Rule is expected Fall
2022 and the Final Rule is expected Fall 2023.
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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8
Upcoming Events and Conferences
Upcoming FSTRAC Webinar
The next FSTRAC Webinar is scheduled for spring
2022. Additional details, including the date of the next
FSTRAC Webinar, will be provided to FSTRAC mem-
bers in the coming weeks.
SETAC North America Annual Meeting -
Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry
SETAC will be holding its 43rd annual North America
meeting on November 13-17, 2022 in Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania. Additional details will be posted to the
SETAC website (https://www.setac.org/) soon.
SETAC Focused Topic Meeting
The North America Focused Topic Meeting on
Nontarget Analysis for Environmental Assessment
will be held on May 22-26, 2022 as a hybrid in-per-
son and online event in Durham, North Carolina.
Additional information is provided in the following
SETAC Activities flyer: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.
setac.org/resource/resmgr/events/setac-activities.pdf.
SOT Annual Meeting-Society of Toxicology
SOT will be holding their 2022 Annual Meeting
and ToxExpo meeting will take place in San Diego,
California from March 27-31, 2022. Additional infor-
mation is provided on the SOT website: https://www.
toxicology.org/events/am/AM2022/index.asp.
SRA Annual Meeting - Society for Risk
Analysis
SRA will be holding their 2022 annual meeting in
Tampa, Florida from December 4-8, 2022. Additional
information is provided on the SRA website: https://
www.sra.org/event/2022-sra-annual-meeting/.
ASM Microbe - American Society for
Microbiology
ASM Microbe will be holding its annual meeting
at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, District of Columbia on June 9-13, 2022.
Additional information is provided on the ASM web-
site: https://asm.org/Events/ASM-Microbe/Home.
ECOS - Environmental Council of the States
The ECOS will be holding their 2022 ECOS Spring
Meeting on April 4-6, 2022. Additional information
is provided on the ECOS website: https://www.ecos.
org/events/.
The ECOS will be holding their 2022 ECOS Fall
Meeting on September 19-21, 2022. Additional infor-
mation is provided on the ECOS website: https://www.
ecos.org/events/.
NEWMOA Northeast Conference -
Northeast Waste Management Officials'
Association
The NEWMOA will be holding their Northeast
Conference on the Science of PFAS: Public Health &
the Environment on March 29, 2022 at the Sheraton
Framingham Hotel and Conference Center in
Framingham, Massachusetts. Additional information
is provided on the NEWMOA website: http://www.
newmoa.org/events/.
EPA ORD Safe and Sustainable Water
Research Board of Scientific Counselors
Meetings
EPA ORD Safe and Sustainable Water Research will
have three Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC)
meetings in December 2021 focused on nutrients and
HABs, including algal toxins. Additional information
is provided on the BOSC website: https://www.epa.
gov/bosc/bosc-safe-and-sustainable-water-resources-
subcommittee-meeting-december-2021
EPA ORD Research Planning Cycle for
FY23-26
EPA ORD has started a research planning cycle to
develop the research needed for FY23-26. Details can
be found at this link: https://intranet.ord.epa.gov/
research-planning (need to be an EPA employee on
the VPN). Please consider engaging.
FSTRAC Newsletter ~ Fall 2021

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