Recent Additions for 2007

EPA is announcing the completion of the final report, Dermal Exposure Assessment: A Summary of EPA Approaches and its availability to the public. This final report presents a concise description and evaluation of the approaches used in the Agency for dermal exposure assessment including a discussion about harmonization and research needs in this area. The report is intended to be used by EPA program offices in their efforts to refine and revise the methods they use to assess dermal exposure to chemicals in the environment and to facilitate cooperation in the development of new methods, models and guidance for dermal exposure assessment.

EPA announces the release of the final document, Climate Change and Interacting Stressors: Implications for Coral Reef Management in American Samoa, which provides a synthesis of information on the interactive effects of climate change and other stressors on the reefs of American Samoa as well as an assessment of potential management responses. The purpose of the report is to provide the coral reef managers of American Samoa, as well as other coral reef managers in the Pacific region, with some management options to help enhance the capacity of local coral reefs to resist the negative effects of climate change.

EPA is announcing the start of a 45-day public comment period for the draft document titled, EPA's 2007 Report on the Environment: Science Report (ROE SR) (EPA/600/R-07/045) as described in the [Federal Register May 10, 2007]. This study is an analysis based on data derived from the latest and most reliable indicators to help understand critical trends in the environment and human health.

EPA is hosting the 2007 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference in West Chester, OH, April 23- 26, 2007 with the theme "Emerging Issues and Challenges in Risk Assessment." Registration (for the conference and hotel), directions and a draft agenda are now available.

EPA is announcing the release of the final report, Analysis of Total Food Intake and Composition of Individual's Diet Based on USDA's 1994-1996, 98 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) (Final). This study is an analysis based on data derived from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1994-96, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) to characterize the consumption of food by the people of the United States.

EPA is announcing the release of the final report, Analysis of Fat Intake Based on USDA's 1994-1996, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) (Final). This study is an analysis based on data derived from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1994-96, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) and EPA's Food Commodity Intake Database (FCID).

EPA is announcing the release of the final report, "Pilot Survey of Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury in Rural Soils of the United States." This study is a compilation of the measurements of levels of dioxins, PCBs and mercury in soil samples from numerous rural locations across the country.

EPA's Risk Assessment Forum Staff recently released the final document, Framework for Metals Risk Assessment, announced in a Press Release on March 8, 2007, outlines key principles about metals and describes how they should be considered in conducting human health and ecological risk assessments. The Framework seeks to advance our understanding of the impact of metals in a consistent manner across the Agency's programs since inorganic metals and metal compounds present unique issues for risk assessors.

EPA is announcing the latest update to the Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS) tool which is used to facilitate the application of benchmark dose (BMD) methods to EPA hazardous pollutant risk assessments. This latest version (1.4) contains seventeen (17) different models that are appropriate for the analysis of dichotomous (quantal) data (Gamma, Logistic, Log-Logistic, Multistage, Probit, Log-Probit, Quantal-Linear, Quantal-Quadratic, Weibull and Multistage-Cancer), continuous data (Linear, Polynomial, Power, and Hill) and nested developmental toxicology data (NLogistic, NCTR, and Rai & Van Ryzin).

EPA is announcing a re-opening of the public comment period for the draft document titled, Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook (EPA/600/R-06/096A) as described in the [Federal Register Jan 22, 2006]. The original 60-day public comment period was announced in the Federal Register on October 6, 2006. In response to requests to extend the comment period, EPA has re-opened the comment period for an additional 30 days. The re-opening comment period will end on February 21, 2007.