IRIS Toxicological Review of Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene) (External Review Draft)
Federal Register Notices
Contacts
- Kathryn Guyton
- by phone at: 703-347-8562
- by email at: guyton.kate@epa.gov
- by email at: guyton.kate@epa.gov
Notice
[10/29] The location for the NAS peer review meeting for the draft tetrachloroethylene document assessment has been changed. The meeting will be held at the National Academy of Sciences' Constitution Avenue building. The public entrance is at 2100 C Street, NW. The meeting will be in Room 150 on November 13 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
[10/16] National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has announced they will be hosting an independent panel of experts to review the draft document on November 13th.
This draft health assessment addresses both non-cancer and cancer human health effects that may result from chronic exposure to tetrachloroethylene (also called "Perchloroethylene" or "Perc") . This is an update of an existing assessment posted on IRIS in 1988. This draft Toxicological Review includes a chronic Reference Concentration (RfC) and carcinogenicity assessment, which are not currently available on IRIS, as well as an update of the 1988 IRIS Reference Dose (RfD).
Background
Tetrachloroethylene is a chemical solvent that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics, metal degreasing, and in making some consumer products and other chemicals. An estimated 27,000 dry cleaners currently use tetrachloroethylene in the United States. It has been detected in ambient air in and near dry cleaning facilities as well as in adjacent residences.
Discharges of tetrachloroethylene from factories and dry cleaners can also contaminate groundwater and tetrachloroethylene has been found in drinking water. It is also found in the soil of about half of the Superfund National Priority List hazardous waste sites.
History/Chronology
Jan 1987 | EPA posted the first tetrachloroethylene assessment on the IRIS database (RfD). |
Mar 1988 | EPA revised the tetrachloroethylene assessment on the IRIS database (RfD). |
Dec 2003 | EPA released for public comment the draft discussion paper on neurotoxicity of tetrachloroethylene. |
Feb 2004 | EPA sponsored a peer consultation workshop on the draft discussion paper on neurotoxicity of tetrachloroethylene. Following the workshop, EPA released a Summary Report of the Peer Review Workshop on the Neurotoxicity of Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene) Discussion Paper. |
Jun 2008 | EPA released the draft tetrachloroethylene assessment for external peer review. This draft assessment was provided for public viewing and comment. Public comments received on the Toxicological Review within 90 days after the release of the FRN would be provided to the external peer reviewers for their consideration. |
Jul 2008 | EPA replaced the document when they discovered that several tables were inadvertently omitted from Appendix 4B in the initial June posting. The document link below includes these tables in Appendix 4B, pages 4-216 to 4-237. |
Aug 2008 | EPA hosted a public listening session as announced in the July 29, 2008 Federal Register Notice. |
Nov 2008 | National Academy of Sciences (NAS) gathered an independent panel of experts to review the draft document as annouced in a October 16, 2008 Federal Register Notice. |
Next Steps
Downloads/Related Links
- Toxicological Review of Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene) (External Review Draft) (PDF) (556 pp, 4 MB, about PDF)
- Charge to External Peer Reviewers (PDF) (6 pp, 54 KB, about PDF)
- Listening Session Announcement
Related Link(s)
Additional Information
Citation