US EPA

This report summarizes the comments made at a two-day independent scientific peer review meeting on the Agency's draft assessment of health and ecotoxicological effects of perchlorate, entitled Perchlorate Environmental Contamination: Toxicological Review and Risk Characterization. The expert peer review meeting, which was open to the public, was held on March 5 and 6, 2002, in Sacramento, California. This summary report was prepared by the Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG) and reviewed by the expert panel as a general record of discussions and issues raised during the meeting. The report captures the main points of presentations, highlights discussions among the reviewers, and documents public comments provided at that meeting.

The peer review panel consisted of 17 independent experts from a broad range of relevant scientific backgrounds and affiliations. The purpose of the peer review was to examine the experimental protocol, performance and results of studies that were not in the peer-reviewed literature at the time of document production, as well as to review the EPA risk assessment per se. The peer review panel also evaluated public comments submitted prior to the meeting, presentations made by various stakeholders at the meeting, and public comments sent to the EPA and peer review panel after the meeting.

EPA will thoroughly evaluate the recommendations contained in this report as well as the public comments to determine what modifications are necessary before the draft perchlorate assessment is finalized. The final assessment document will undergo Agency consensus review and clearance for inclusion on the EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). When finalized, this draft assessment will be an important update to the Agency's health and ecological assessment for potential risks resulting from exposure to perchlorate through drinking water and other sources. The human and ecological risk estimates could be used in the future to support development of a health advisory or a possible drinking water regulation, and for consideration in cleanup decisions at federal facilities or other contaminated sites. These decisions would be subject to the legal, regulatory, or policy requirements associated with those programs.

U.S. EPA. REPORT ON THE PEER REVIEW OF THE U.S. EPA'S "Perchlorate ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION: TOXICOLOGICAL REVIEW AND RISK CHARACTERIZATION (External Review Draft)" 2002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington Office, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-02/003, 2002.

This document has been reviewed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

• Report on the Peer Review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Draft External Review Document (PDF)  (101 pp, 699 KB, about PDF)
• Appendix A-F

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• The Effects of Ammonium Perchlorate on Thyroids (2000)
• Perchlorate Environmental Contamination: Toxicological Review and Risk Characterization Based on Emerging Information (External Review Draft) 1998
• Perchlorate Environmental Contamination: Toxicological Review and Risk Characterization (External Review Draft) 2002
• National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Review of the Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion (2005)