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Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Development of Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Chemicals
Citation:
Lipscomb, J. Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Development of Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Chemicals. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/224, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
The U.S. EPA is responsible for managing accidental and intentional (e.g., terrorist) emergency chemical releases. Decisions following these releases are risk-risk tradeoff decisions, requiring quantitative information. Whether planning for or responding to an unanticipated chemical release, information describing the likelihood and severity (from reversible health impacts to death) of chemical-induced health impact is balanced against the resource requirements and possible unintended consequences of a response activity. EPA has identified toxic industrial chemicals and chemical threat agents that do not have, but do need advisory emergency exposure guideline values. EPA conceived Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) that characterize risk at three levels of severity; cover both the inhalation and oral routes of exposure; and durations of 1, 30 and 90 days. This peer reviewed document describes the procedures to develop PALs by identifying health effects that increase in severity with increasing exposure, and by organizing them according to exposure durations common during and following an emergency chemical release. PALs developed according to this procedure will enable EPA On Scene Coordinators and their supporting toxicologists in EPA Programs, Offices and Regions; and in the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to make effective emergency response decisions.
Description:
Report: This report has been completed under a peer review plan that included internal technical review and external peer review. It distinguishes the types of chemical risk information necessary to support emergency response decisions and emphasizes the importance of having advisory exposure guidance values that are developed specifically for emergency response situations. It describes the procedures used to develop Provisional Advisory Level values for Hazardous chemicals.