18 New Chemicals Targeted for Risk Assessment by US EPA

By TDmonthly Staff
July 2012

PRESS RELEASE

18 chemicals have been selected for risk assessment during 2013 and 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced. Part of the agency's existing chemicals management program, the Work Plan Chemicals has listed these 18 as stipulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Chemicals are selected if they are used in children's products and meet one or more of several characteristics. These include substances of potential concern to children's health, due to reproductive or developmental effects, neurotoxic effects, if they are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT), probable or known carcinogens, or are detected in biomonitoring programs.

Using the above criteria, in total 83 chemicals were identified as needing risk-assessment, and all will be scrutinized eventually. However, to ensure the process is manageable, some chemicals were chosen first, since the EPA considers them highest priority according to several factors. These include whether the chemical was identified as high ranking, whether the chemical meets more than one factor identified above (for example, chemicals identified as a potential concern for children's health and PBT), whether certain chemicals, or groups of chemicals, would benefit from some preliminary work to assure that future risk assessments are appropriately targeted and scoped, whether certain chemicals, or groups of chemicals, have previously been assessed and addressed by the Agency, so that a risk assessment in later years may be more appropriate than in the earlier years of the work plan, or according to Agency workload considerations, including scope and timing of work needed on specific chemicals, and existing commitments for assessment.

Specifically, the 18 chemicals to be assessed 2013-2014 are:
1. 1-Bromopropane
2. 1,1-Dichloroethane
3. 1,2-Dichloropropane
4. 1,2-Dichloroethane
5. trans-1-2-Dichloroethylene
6. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
7. 4-tert-Octylphenol
8. Bis(2-Ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH)
9. 2-Ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB)
10. Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP)
11. Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
12. Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,5,5-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
13. Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8aoctahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
14. Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,6,7,8,8aoctahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
15. 4-sec-Butyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol
16. 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol
17. P,p'-Oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide)
18. Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4)

The EPA hopes to save time by assessing related groups of chemicals together. The groups in the above list are three flame retardants (8-10), four fragrance chemicals (11-14), and five chlorinated hydrocarbons (2-6). Through data sources cited in the TSCA Work Plans Chemicals Methods Document, along with other sources, the Agency plans to use all the information available as well as inviting supplementary information relevant to the chemicals through the submission of unpublished studies or information on potential exposures and uses.

Should an assessment indicate a significant risk is present, the EPA will implement the necessary actions for risk reduction. Equally, if no significant risk is ascertained, the EPA will conclude work on a given chemical. The EPA will make draft risk assessments available for public review and comment later this year and is currently working on seven chemicals that were identified last year. It is possible more chemicals will be added to the EPA work plan for 2012 if the need arises.

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