US EPA

EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) conducted a review of the scientific basis supporting the human health cancer hazard and dose-response assessment of inorganic arsenic that will appear on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. EPA revised the assessment and is now returning the assessment to the SAB and releasing the document to the public for a focused review of EPA's responses to the SAB recommendations.

Inorganic arsenic is used for hardening copper and lead alloys. It also is used in glass manufacturing as a decolorizing and refining agent, as a component of electrical devices, in the semiconductor industry, and as a catalyst in the production of ethylene oxide. Arsenic compounds are used as a mordant in the textile industry, for preserving hides, as medicinals, pesticides, pigments, and wood preservatives. Approximately 90% of the domestic consumption of arsenic is currently used with production of chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a wood preservative, the production of which is currently being phased out. Arsenic is also found naturally in the environment and is typically present in soil and water at detectable levels. Sources of human exposure to inorganic arsenic include drinking water, diet, air, and soils (which can contain naturally occurring arsenic or contamination from anthropogenic sources). This draft IRIS health assessment addresses only cancer human health effects that may result from chronic exposure to this chemical. An assessment of noncancer health effects of inorganic arsenic will be released for external peer review and public comment at a later date.

This draft IRIS health assessment addresses only cancer human health effects that may result from chronic exposure to this chemical.

This draft has been archived. The re-assessment will start again at step 1.

Supporting Documents: The file, Arsenic_Excel_Table 5-3.zip (ZIP, 195 Kb), provides the data and analyses EPA used to derive the cancer risk estimates as described in Table 5-3 in the Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic (Cancer) (External Review Draft) 2010. An additional file (Arsenic_Excel_Appendix F.zip (ZIP, 143 Kb), ) provides the data and analyses EPA used to derive the results presented in Appendix F (Tables F-1 and F-2). Information regarding the files can be found on the first tab (labeled Directions) of each individual Excel® file.

U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic (Cancer) (External Review Draft, 2010). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-10/001, 2010.