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AN UPDATE ON SOME ARSENIC PROJECTS AT THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Citation:
Abernathy, C. O., R L. Calderon, E. L. Winchester, AND T. F. McMahon. AN UPDATE ON SOME ARSENIC PROJECTS AT THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. Presented at 5th International Arsenic Congress, San Diego, CA, July 05 - 09, 2002.
Description:
ABSTRACT Exposure to arsenic (As) has been reported to cause many adverse health effects in humans, including internal and skin cancers, vascular, neurological and dermal manifestations. Some Offices of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deal with As and selected activities will be described. The Office of Water (OW) is concerned with the Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water Acts. After reviewing the As data base, the EPA established a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of zero and a Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 g/L on January 22, 2110. The effective date for the rule was extended by the Administrator and the As data base was re-examined. After carefully considering all comments, the EPA announced on October 31, 2001 that the rule would go into effect without delay. The Office of pesticides Program (OPP) has been working with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). OPP realized that humans, especially children were exposed to CCA from playground equipment and the soils around playgrounds. OPP negotiated with the wood treatment industry and the industry announced a voluntary phase-out program of CCA for residential uses, e.g., pressure-treated wood for decks. Since As is found in 2/3s of contaminated waste sites, it presents potential hazards and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) must make remediation decisions based on human and environment risk assessments. To improve these decisions, OSWER is developing toxicity values for short-term As exposures and improving bioavailability data. These two activities should enable OSWER to make more rational decisions. The Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed and implemented a research frame work. The primary themes are identifying key events in As-induced health effects and developing dose-response relationships in arsenic exposed human populations.