A Message from the IRIS Program
IRIS Program Outlook
October 2022
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 public release dates. The
IRIS Program is providing this information so that stakeholders are aware of upcoming assessment
products, and to allow the public and research community an opportunity to communicate relevant
research to EPA. When made public, the documents listed in Table 1 can be found at Regulations.gov in
the IRIS public comment dockets. Docket numbers are listed on the IRIS website here:
https://iris.epa.gov/Dockets/. While IRIS assessments are not associated with proposed rulemaking,
Regulations.gov serves as both an internal portal to facilitate public comment and as a document
repository for Federal government agencies.
Projected dates are based on factors such as the 1) scope of the assessment (e.g., size and complexity of
a chemical's evidence base)1 and 2) resource availability. Nearer-term activities are estimated using
current Fiscal Year (FY) and Quarter. Long-term milestones are projected only for the FY due to the
increased uncertainty of projecting timelines at the Quarter level. While projected dates reflect the IRIS
Program's best estimate at this time based on available information, they are subject to change.
Changes to estimated dates typically result from additional time needed to address the scientific
challenges unique to each chemical assessment, new data, or to respond to internal, public, and/or peer
review comments, in addition to current EPA priorities and the availability of staff with the appropriate
expertise to address those challenges. The IRIS Program Outlook is updated at least three times each
calendar year (February, June, October).
Additional information regarding other pertinent products relating to IRIS assessments and IRIS Program
activities is included in Table 2. For questions regarding the IRIS Program activities, visit the Contact Us
page on the EPA Website. For press inquiries, visit EPA's Office of Public Affairs website.
' The scope of IRIS assessments is generally presented in the IRIS Assessment Plan (IAP). Information regarding size
of the evidence base and expected key areas of scientific complexity is available in these documents. For
information on how lAPs are developed, please see the IRIS Handbook:
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris drafts/recordisplav.cfm?deid=350086.
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Table 1. IRIS Assessment Products/Activities - October 2022
Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Arsenic, Inorganic
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on Mav 28, 2019 for a 30-dav public
comment period until June 27, 2019.
NAS review meeting Julv 16, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q2
External Peer Review
FY23
Chloroform (Inhalation)
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on September 18, 2017 for a 30-dav public
comment period until October 18, 2017.
Public Science Meeting on September 27, 2017.
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on January 31, 2018 for a 30-dav public
comment period until March 2, 2018.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q3
External Peer Review
FY23 Q4
Chromium VI
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on March 15, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until April 29, 2019.
Public Science Meeting on April 24, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
Released on October 20, 2022 for a 60-dav public
comment period until December 19, 2022.
External Peer Review
FY23 Q1
Cobalt and Cobalt Compounds
(Inhalation, Cancer)
IRIS Assessment Plan
FY23 Q1
Systematic Review Protocol
FY23 Q1
Public Comment Draft
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Ethvlbenzene1
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on September 18, 2017 for a 30-dav public
comment period until October 18, 2017.
Public Science Meeting on September 27, 2017.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY23 Q1
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Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Public Comment Draft
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Formaldehyde
Public Comment Draft
Released April 14, 2022 for a 60-dav public
comment period until June 13, 2022
External Peer Review
See the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) website
Final
TBD
Inorganic Mercury salts
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on October 8, 2019 for a 30-dav public
comment period until November 7, 2019.
Public science meeting on December 5, 2019
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on March 11, 2021 for a 30-dav public
comment period until April 12, 2021.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q4
External Peer Review
FY24
Methvlmercurv
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on April 4, 2019 for a 30-dav public
comment period until Mav 6, 2019.
Public Science Meeting on Mav 15, 2019
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on Mav 28, 2020 for a 45-dav public
comment period until Julv 13, 2020.
Public Comment Draft
FY24
External Peer Review
FY24
Naphthalene1
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on Julv 5, 2018 for a 30-dav public
comment period until August 6, 2018; extended
until September 5, 2018.
Public Science meeting originallv scheduled for
August 23, 2018 held November 9, 2021.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY23 Q1
Public Comment Draft
TBD
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Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
External Peer Review
TBD
Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
Released on August 23, 2021 for a 60-dav public
comment period until October 22, 2021; extended
until November 8, 2021.
External Peer Review
Public External Peer Review Meeting: February 22-
23.2022
Peer Review Report: June 2022
Final
FY23 Q1
Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q1
External Peer Review
FY23 Q2
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
Released on February 2, 2022 for a 60-dav public
comment period until April 4, 2022.
External Peer Review
Public External Peer Review Meeting: Mav 16-17,
2022
Peer Review Report: August 2022
Final
FY23 Q2
Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid
(PFHxS)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q2
External Peer Review
FY23 Q2
Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft
FY23 Q3
External Peer Review
FY23 Q3
Polvchlorinated Biphenvls
(PCBs; Oral, Noncancer)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on December 19, 2019 for a 30-dav public
comment period until Januarv 21, 2020.
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Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Public Comment Draft
FY24
External Peer Review
FY25
Uranium1
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on January 31, 2018 for a 30-dav public
comment period until March 2, 2018.
Public Science Meeting on March 22, 2018
Systematic Review Protocol
FY23 Q1
Public Comment Draft
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Vanadium and Compounds (Oral)
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on Julv 24, 2020 for a 30-dav comment
period until August 24, 2020. Extended until
September 23, 2020.
Public Science Meeting on August 19, 2020
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on April 26, 2021 for a 30-dav public
comment period until Mav 26, 2021.
Public Comment Draft
FY24
External Peer Review
FY24
Vanadium and Compounds
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on Mav 28, 2021 for a 30-dav public
(Inhalation)1
comment period until June 28, 2021.
Public Science Meeting on Julv 14, 2021.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY23 Q2
Public Comment Draft
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
^he IRIS Program is currently revising the ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments ("IRIS Handbook") following external
peer review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which impacts the schedule of systematic
review protocol development for several assessments (ethylbenzene, naphthalene, uranium, vanadium and compounds (inhalation)).
Following the release of the Handbook and systematic review protocols, subsequent projected assessment milestone dates (public
comment and peer review) will be updated and provided in the next IRIS Program Outlook update.
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Table 2. Upcoming IRIS Assessment support products and activities
Product or Activity
Next Anticipated Public Step(s)
Projected Date
ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments
("IRIS Handbook")
Final
FY23 Q1
Cobalt and Cobalt Compounds (Preliminary Assessment
Materials)
Public Meeting
FY23 Q1
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