United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Research Abstract Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) Goal 4.5 Annual Performance Measure 228 Significant Research Findings: Workshop on Exposure Research Needs for Addressing Cumulative Risk Scientific Humans and other living things are exposed to a multitude of chemicals, physical Problem and agents, and other stressors through multiple pathways, routes, and sources. To Policy Issues address this problem, the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) has identified cumulative-risk assessment as a priority research area. In order to assess cumulative risk, one must shift from the traditional paradigm of assessing risk on an individual chemical or facility basis, to a person-oriented community (population) basis. Typically, when estimating population exposures, risk assessors do not simultaneously track an individual's exposure to multiple chemicals and do not consider factors other than chemical exposure that can contribute to adverse health effects. These other factors include individual-specific factors (e.g., compromised health), exposure to non-chemical stressors, and exposures accumulated over time. Many different types of data are required and these data need to be collected, interpreted, and presented in new ways to classify populations and characterize exposures. EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) conducted an internal workshop to examine exposure research needs for addressing cumulative risk. Workshop participants from NERL and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) reviewed and evaluated recent cumulative-risk research documents. Participants then identified research needs relevant to exposure and dose modeling and proposed future research areas. Results and This workshop was an important first step towards formulating a comprehensive Impact research strategy for exposure and dose modeling to address cumulative risk. Research The workshop and its output is the result of a collaboration between EPA's NERL Collaboration and and one of its university partners, LBNL. Discussions from the workshop were Research summarized and prepared as an internal report (NERL-RTP-HEASD-04-120). Products Future Research NERL will identify specific exposure and dose modeling research in consultation with EPA's ORD, Program Offices, and Regional representatives. In addition to extending internal collaborative efforts, expert solicitation outside of the Agency is warranted due to the importance, breadth, and depth of cumulative-risk research. NERL will summarize the research needs, identify available tools and gaps, and propose a new research framework and conceptual model in a draft research plan. NERL will then conduct another workshop consisting of experts in cumulative risk and exposure modeling to evaluate each component of the draft research plan. A Research Approach ------- final research plan will be developed based on the workshop recommendations. Contacts for Questions and inquiries can be directed to: Additional Information Stephen E. Graham, Ph.D. U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 109 TW Alexander Drive Phone: 919/541-4344 E-mail: graham.stephen@epa.gov Elaine Cohen-Hubal, Ph.D. U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 109 TW Alexander Drive Phone: 919/541-4077 E-mail: hubal.elaine@epa.gov Partial Federal funding for this research was administered under EPA Interagency Agreement DW-8993-0582 to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Indoor Environment Department. ------- |