Dioxin Reassessment. NAS Review Draft 2004

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is progressing toward completion of its comprehensive reassessment of dioxin exposure and human health effects entitled, Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds. Use this page to access the latest information on the status of the reassessment and to download the most recent draft of the documents.

Dioxin Reassessment, NAS Review Draft
On October 15, 2004, the EPA transmitted to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) the NAS Review Draft of EPA's Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds, in preparation for the first meeting of the NAS panel scheduled for November 22 and 23, 2004, in Washington, DC. Visit the NAS Web site for detailed information on the dioxin review activity, titled "Review of EPA's Assessment of the Health Implications of Exposure to Dioxins."

Dioxin Information Sheets
EPA has prepared four information sheets to provide background information on the reassessment and other EPA dioxin-related activities. The information sheets are listed below with a short description of their purpose and contents, as well as the draft reassessment documents.

1. Dioxin: Summary of the Dioxin Reassessment Science (2003)
   Information Sheet 1 provides an abbreviated summary of the science in the draft dioxin reassessment. A more in-depth discussion can be found in the companion piece entitled Dioxin: Scientific Highlights from Draft Reassessment (2003) (below). Information Sheet 1 is meant to provide a less technical discussion of the science than Information Sheet 2, and is aimed at the general public.
   
   
2. Dioxin: Scientific Highlights from Draft Reassessment (2003)
   Information Sheet 2 provides a more detailed and technical discussion of the science issues and exposure and source information included in the comprehensive reassessment. The discussion of mechanisms of action and dose-response is of particular interest. It is meant to be of use to risk assessors in EPA regions, to State and other environmental health professionals and to readers already familiar with dioxin science.
   
   
3. Dioxin Reassessment Process: What is the Status of the Reassessment and How Was the Draft Reassessment Developed?
   Information Sheet 3 has been updated to include the announcement that on October 18, 2004, EPA transmitted to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) its December 2003 NAS review draft of the dioxin reassessment. This Information Sheet also describes the process that EPA has used in developing the draft reassessment.
   
   
4. Dioxin: Continuing EPA Efforts to Reduce the Public's Exposure to Dioxin Risks
   Information Sheet 4 describes the Agency's efforts to develop a Cross-Media Dioxin Strategy for dioxin that will be incorporated into an overall Federal effort by the Interagency Working Group on Dioxin (IWG) to prepare a coordinated dioxin risk management strategy. In addition, the fact sheet contains information on the broad set of ongoing dioxin regulatory and risk management activities that EPA is pursuing through its major program areas. Collectively, these actions address all of the major industrial dioxin sources so far identified in the reassessment.

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