US EPA

In November 2019, EPA released the Systematic Review Protocol for the PFBA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA IRIS Assessments for a 45-day public comment period. As part of developing a draft IRIS assessment, EPA presents a methods document, referred to as the protocol, for conducting a chemical-specific systematic review of the available scientific literature. Protocols include strategies for literature searches, criteria for study inclusion or exclusion, considerations for evaluating study methods, information management for extracting data, approaches for synthesis within and across lines of evidence, and methods for derivation of toxicity values.

This protocol includes strategies for literature searches, criteria for study inclusion or exclusion, considerations for evaluating study methods, information management for extracting data, approaches for synthesis within and across lines of evidence, and methods for derivation of toxicity values.

The IRIS Program posts assessment protocols and protocol updates publicly on a chemical’s HERO project page, the IRIS website, and in systematic review repositories such as Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/record/2654896#.XMsScOhKjcs).

This document presents a draft assessment plan for the PFNA assessments that will be the subject of an SAB/Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee meeting in the Fall of 2019 and that will define the scope and approach of the IRIS assessment for these chemicals.

The IRIS Program will use the methods for conducting the systematic review as described in the protocol to develop the draft assessment.

U.S. EPA. Systematic Review Protocol for the Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) IRIS Assessment (Preliminary Assessment Materials). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-19/050, 2019.