US EPA

EPA is developing an Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of tert-butyl Alcohol (tert-butanol or tBA) and has released the public comment draft assessment for public comment and external peer review. When final, the assessment will appear on the IRIS database.

tert-Butyl Alcohol (tBA) is used as a solvent; as a denaturant for ethanol and several other alcohols; in the manufacture of flotation agents, fruit essences, and perfumes; as an octane booster in gasoline; as a dehydrating agent; and as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate. tBA's production for industrial uses may result in its direct release to the environment through various waste streams. tBA is also a likely degradation product of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Probable routes of human exposure to tBA include inhalation, ingestion, and skin or eye contact.

This draft report is being released for public viewing and comment prior to a public meeting, providing an opportunity for the IRIS Program to engage in early discussions with stakeholders and the public on data that may be used to identify adverse health effects and characterize exposure-response relationships. EPA welcomes all comments on the draft literature search, preliminary evidence tables, and preliminary exposure-response arrays, such as remarks on the following: • the clarity and transparency of the materials; • the approach for identifying pertinent studies; • the selection of studies for data extraction to preliminary evidence tables and exposure-response arrays; • any methodological considerations that could affect the interpretation of or confidence in study results; and • any additional studies published or nearing publication that may provide data for the evaluation of human health hazard or dose-response relationships.

Following public comment and external peer review, the assessment will be revised taking into consideration peer review and public comments. The assessment will then undergo a final EPA internal review and a review by other federal agencies and the Executive Office of the President. Once final, the assessment will be posted to the IRIS database.

U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (Public Comment Draft, 2016). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-16/079, 2016.