IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia (External Review Draft)

Notice

EPA is announcing the release of the draft IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia (External Review Draft) for a 60-day public review and comment period . The deadline for comments is August 7, 2012. The Federal Register Notice also announced a public listening session scheduled for July 12, 2012. [Federal Register Notice June 8, 2012]

Report Information

EPA is conducting a peer review of the scientific basis supporting the human health hazard and dose-response assessment of ammonia that will appear in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. Please refer to IRISTrack – Ammonia for the latest schedule updates.

Audrey Galizia

by phone at: 732-906-6887
by fax at: 732-452-6429
by email at: galizia.audrey@epa.gov

Background

About 80% of commercially produced ammonia is used in agricultural fertilizers. Ammonia is also used as a corrosion inhibitor, in water purification, as a household cleaner, as an antimicrobial agent in food products, as a refrigerant, as a stabilizer in the rubber industry, as a source of hydrogen in the hydrogenation of fats and oils, and as a chemical intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals, explosives, and other chemicals. Ammonia is also used to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from combustion sources such as industrial and municipal boilers, power generators, and diesel engines. Ammonia is a component of the global nitrogen cycle and is essential to many biologic processes.

History/Chronology

May 1991	The RfC for ammonia was posted to the IRIS database.
Mar 2012	EPA hosted an interagency science consultation meeting on the review of the draft Toxicological Review of Ammonia.
Jun 2012	EPA released the external review draft of the ammonia assessment for public review and comment. [Federal Register Notice Jun 8, 2012]

Next Steps

Following external peer review and public comment, the assessment will be revised taking into consideration the comments received. It will then undergo a final internal review by EPA and other federal agencies and White House offices. After completing the review it will be posted to the IRIS database.

Additional Information

Comments on the draft assessment may be submitted and reviewed using the e-Government Regulations.gov Web site. From the site, select Environmental Protection Agency and the key word EPA-HQ-ORD-2012-0399 (for the docket ID).

Citation

U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia (External Review Draft). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-11/013A, 2012.

Downloads

This download(s) is distributed solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. It has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency determination or policy.

IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia (External Review Draft) (PDF) (83 pp, 1 MB, about PDF)
IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia, Supplemental Information (External Review Draft) (PDF) (87 pp, 1 MB, about PDF)
NCEA Proposed Draft Charge to the External Peer Review (PDF) (3 pp, 118 KB, about PDF)