US EPA

In August 2013, EPA submitted a revised draft IRIS assessment of ammonia to the agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) and posted this draft on the IRIS website. EPA had previously released a draft of the assessment for public comment, held a public meeting about the draft, and then revised it based on the comments received. The SAB CAAC-Ammonia panel will review this draft assessment. Details about the meeting dates, times, and location are available via the Federal Register Notice posted on March 25, 2014. The SAB provided information on how the public can participate in the external peer review meetings, as well as instructions about how to provide comments to the SAB in the notice. Additional information on the "SAB review of ammonia" is on the SAB website.

Report Information: The Toxicological Review of Ammonia was originally released for a 60-day public comment period on June 8, 2012. [Federal Register Notice Jun 8, 2012] EPA revised the toxicological review in response to the public comments received. EPA has released the revised external review draft ammonia assessment and the SAB CAAC is conducting a peer review of the scientific basis supporting the assessment that will appear in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. Information regarding the peer review can be found at the "SAB review of ammonia" website.

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.

EPA is undertaking an Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for ammonia. IRIS is an EPA database containing Agency scientific positions on potential adverse human health effects that may result from chronic (or lifetime) exposure to chemicals in the environment. IRIS contains chemical-specific summaries of qualitative and quantitative health information in support of two steps of the risk assessment paradigm, i.e., hazard identification and dose-response evaluation. IRIS assessments are used in combination with specific situational exposure assessment information to evaluate potential public health risk associated with environmental contaminants.

EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office has announced two meetings for the SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC), augmented for the review of the draft IRIS assessment of ammonia (CAAC-Ammonia panel). The first meeting is a public teleconference scheduled for June 2, 2014. The second is a face-to face panel meeting scheduled for July 14-16, 2014 in Arlington, VA. Additional information about participation in the external peer review meetings, including how to provide comments to the SAB, are now available on the SAB review of ammonia website and via the Federal Register.

Information on the peer review can be found at the SAB Ammonia website. Following external peer review, 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 the Executive Office of the President. After completing this review it will be posted to the IRIS database.

U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia (Revised External Review Draft). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-13/139a, 2013.