A Message from the IRIS Program
IRIS Program Outlook
February 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. 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 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 Tables 2 and 3. 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 discussed 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/recordisplay.cfm?deid=350086.
1
-------
Table 1. IRIS Assessment Products/Activities - February 2022.
Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Arsenic, Inorganic
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on May 23, 2019 for a 30-day public
comment period until June 27, 2019.
If ew meeting July 16, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY23 Q1
External Peer Review
FY23
Chloroform (Inhalation)1
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on September 18, 2017 for a 30-day
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-day public
comment period until March 2, 2018.
Public Comment Draft
FY22 Q4
External Peer Review
FY23 Q1
Chromium VI
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on March 15, 2019 for a 45-day public
comment period until April 29, 2019.
Public Science Meeting on April 24, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY22 Q4
External Peer Review
FY23 Q1
Ethvlbenzene1,2
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on September 18, r a 30-day
Public Science Meeting on September 27, 2017.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY22 Q3
Public Comment Draft Release
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Formaldehyde1
Public Comment Draft Release
FY22 Q3
External Peer Review
FY22 Q3
2
-------
Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
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 Release
FY23
External Peer Review
FY23
Methvlmercurv
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on April 4, 2019 for a 30-dav public
comment period until May 6, 2019.
Public Science Meeting on May 15, 2019
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on Mav 28, 2020 for a 45-dav public
comment period until Julv 13, 2020.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY23
External Peer Review
FY24
Naphthalene1,2
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 originally scheduled for
August 23, 2018 was postponed and held
November 9, 2,021.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY22 Q4
Public Comment Draft Release
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Perfluorobutanoic Acid fPFBA)3
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
Released on August 23, 2021 for a 60-day public
comment period until October 22, 2021; extended
until November 8, 2021.
External Peer Review
FY22 Ql; see Table 2 for details
Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA)3
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-dav public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
3
-------
Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Public Comment Draft Release
FY23 Q1
External Peer Review
FY23 Q2
Perfluorohexanoic acid fPFHxA)3
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-day public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
Released on February 2, 2022 for a 60-dav public
comment period until April 4, 2022.
External Peer Review
FY22 Q3
Perfluorohexanesulforiic Acid
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-day public
{PFHxS}3
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY23 Q2
External Peer Review
FY23 Q2
Perfluorononanoic Acid fPFNA)3
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on November 8, 2019 for a 45-day public
comment period until December 23, 2019.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY23 Q2
External Peer Review
FY23 Q3
Polvchlorinated Biphenvls
(PCBs; oral, noncancer)
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on December 19, 2019 for a 30-day public
comment period until January 21, 2020.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY24
External Peer Review
FY25
Uranium1,2
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on January 31, 2018 for a 30-day public
comment period until March 2, 2018.
Public Science Meeting on March 22, 2018
Systematic Review Protocol
FY22 Q4
Public Comment Draft Release
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
Vanadium and Compounds (Oral)
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on July 24, 2020 for a 30-day comment
period until August 24, 2020. Extended until
September 23, 2020.
Public Science Meeting on August 19, 2020
4
-------
Assessment
Public Product(s)/Activity
Projected Date
Systematic Review Protocol
Released on April 26, 2021 for a 30-dav public
comment period until May 26, 2021.
Public Comment Draft Release
FY24
External Peer Review
FY24
Vanadium and Compounds
IRIS Assessment Plan
Released on May 28, 2021 for a 30-dav public
(Inhalation)2
comment period until June 28, 2021.
Public Science Meeting on July 14, 2021.
Systematic Review Protocol
FY22 Q3
Public Comment Draft Release
TBD
External Peer Review
TBD
^he chloroform, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene, and uranium IRIS assessments were suspended in April 2019 due to
realignment of Agency priorities, see April 2019 IRIS Program Outlook here:
https://cfpub,epa.gov/ncea/iris drafts/recordisplay,cfm?deid=350410. Chloroform was later identified as a priority; see February
2020 IRIS Program Outlook, here: https://www.epa,goy/sites/default/files/2020-02/docuroents/iris program outlook feb2020.pdf.
Formaldehyde was also later identified as a priority, while naphthalene, ethylbenzene, and uranium were nominated in FY21 and are
currently in progress; see June 2021 IRIS Program Outlooks here: https://www.epa,gov/systero/files/docuroents/2021~0y/iris-
program-outlook-iune-2021.pdf.
2The IRIS Program is currently revising the ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments ("IRIS Handbook") following external
peer review by the National Academy of Sciences, which is expected to impact systematic review protocol development
(ethylbenzene, naphthalene, uranium, vanadium inhalation). Following the systematic review protocol release, subsequent projected
milestone dates (public comment and peer review) will be updated and provided in the next IRIS Program Outlook.
3The five per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) assessments are being developed according to the scope and methods outlined in
the publicly posted systematic review protocol (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=345065) and build
upon several other PFAS assessments that have already been developed. These assessments represent only one component of the
broader EPA 2021 StrategicRoad map currently being implemented at the U.S. EPA, located at https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-
strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024.
5
-------
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
FY22 0.4/ FY23 Q1
NAS Workshop - Advances Made During Application of
Artificial Intelligence and Open Data Practices in Chemical
Hazard Assessment
Public Workshop
May 25-26, 2022
NAS Workshop - Triangulation of Evidence in
Environmental Epidemiology
Public Workshop
May 9, 2022 and May 11, 2022
PCB Mixtures/Modeling and Tool Webinar
Public Meeting
March 16, 2022
Peer Review Activities
Perfluorobutanoic Acid fPFBA)
Public External Peer Review Meeting
February 22-23, 2022
Perfluorohexanoic acid {PFHxAl
Public External Peer Review Meeting
FY22 Q3
Formaldehyde
Public External Peer Review Meeting
FY22 Q3
Table 3. Select Recent Publications Related to IRIS Assessment Activities
Assessment
Citation
Publication Date
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
(PCBs; oral, noncancer)
Weitekamp, C.A., Phillips, L.J., Carlson, L.M., DeLuca, N.M., Cohen Hubal,
E.A., Lehmann, G.M. (2021). A state-of-the-science review of
polychlorinated biphenyl exposures at background levels: Relative
contributions of exposure routes, Science of the Total Environment, 776(1).
145912. https://doi.Org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145912
Published February 2021
6
------- |