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IRIS Toxicological Review of Biphenyl (Interagency Science Consultation Draft)
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Contact
- Norman Birchfield
- by phone at: 703-347-0174
- by fax at: 703-347-8699
- by email at: birchfield.norman@epa.gov
- by fax at: 703-347-8699
Downloads/Related Links
- IRIS Toxicological Review of Biphenyl (Interagency Science Consultation Draft) (PDF) (187 pp, 2 MB, about PDF)
- Draft Charge to External Peer Reviewers (Interagency Science Consultation Draft) (PDF) (3 pp, 25 KB, about PDF)
- EPA's Response and Comments from the Interagency Science Consultation (PDF) (7 pp, 36 KB, about PDF)
- 1. CDC ATSDR Biphenyl IASC Comments (PDF) (2 pp, 27 KB, about PDF)
Related Link(s)
Background
Biphenyl is an organic compound that forms colorless crystals. It occurs naturally in coal tar, crude oil, and natural gas. Biphenyl was once used in the production of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) before they were banned in the late 1970s. It is no longer used as an antimicrobial and a fungicide in the U.S., but it is still used as a fungistat in other countries, most commonly in the packaging of citrus fruits. Today, biphenyl is mainly used in the production of pesticides, as a dye carrier in polyester dyeing, and as a component of heat transfer fluids, which are used for industrial processing applications. Biphenyl is found at multiple Superfund sites and other hazardous waste sites. It is on the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and is classified as one of the High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals.
History/Chronology
| Aug 1989 | The RfD for 1,1-biphenyl was posted to the IRIS Database. |
| Mar 1991 | The cancer assessment for 1,1-biphenyl was posted to the IRIS database. |
| Sep 2011 | EPA hosted an interagency science consultation on the review of the draft Toxicological Review of Biphenyl. |
| Sep 2011 | EPA released the external review draft of the biphenyl assessment for public review and comment. [Federal Register Notice Sep 30, 2011] |
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.
Citation
U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Biphenyl (Interagency Science Consultation Draft). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-11/005C, 2011.