Evaluating Risk of Existing Chemicals under TSCA
EPA has announced the first 10 chemicals it will evaluate for potential risks to human health and the environment under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Read the press release. Read the Federal Register notice.
Under TSCA EPA is now required to evaluate existing chemicals to determine whether they “present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.” The Agency will start the risk evaluation process for these first 10 chemicals and within six months release a scoping document for each chemical which includes the hazard(s), exposure(s), conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation(s) the Agency plans to consider for the evaluation. TSCA requires these chemical risk evaluations be completed within three years. If EPA determines that a chemical presents an unreasonable risk, EPA must mitigate the risk(s) within two years.
Learn more about chemical risk evaluations under TSCA:
- What are the first 10 chemicals EPA has selected for risk evaluation under amended TSCA?
- How did EPA select these chemicals?
- Will additional chemicals be chosen?
- Is EPA proceeding with rules on TCE, N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and methylene chloride?
1. What are the first 10 chemicals EPA has selected for risk evaluation under amended TSCA?
| Chemical | Exposure Information from 2014 Work Plan | Hazard Information from 2014 Work Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1,4-Dioxane | Used in consumer products. Present in groundwater, ambient air and indoor environments. High reported releases to the environment. | Possible human carcinogen |
| 1-Bromopropane | Used in consumer products. Present in drinking water, indoor environments, surface water, ambient air, groundwater, soil. Estimated to have high releases to the environment. | Possible human carcinogen |
| Asbestos | Used in chlor-alkali production, consumer products, coatings and compounds, plastics, roofing products, and other applications. Also found in certain imported products such as brakes, friction products, gaskets, packing materials and building materials. | Known human carcinogen; Acute and chronic toxicity from inhalation exposures |
| Carbon Tetrachloride | Used in commercial/industrial products. Present in biomonitoring, drinking water, indoor environments, surface water, ambient air, groundwater, soil. High reported releases to the environment. | Probable human carcinogen |
| Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (HBCD) | Flame retardant in extruded polystyrene foam, textiles, and electrical and electronic appliances. | Acute aquatic toxicity |
| Methylene Chloride | Used in consumer products. Present in drinking water, indoor environments, ambient air, groundwater, and soil. | Probable human carcinogen |
| N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) | Used in consumer products. Present in drinking water and indoor environments. High reported releases into the environment. | Reproductive toxicity |
| Pigment Violet 29 (Anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d’e’f’]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10(2H,9H)-tetrone) | Used in consumer products. Estimated to have moderate releases to the environment. | Aquatic toxicity |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | Used in consumer products. Present in drinking water, indoor environments, surface water, ambient air, groundwater, and soil. | Probable human carcinogen |
| Tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene) | Used in consumer products and dry cleaning. Present in biomonitoring, drinking water, indoor environments, ambient air, groundwater, soil. High reported releases to the environment. | Probable human carcinogen |
2. How did EPA select these chemicals?
TSCA requires that EPA choose the first 10 chemicals from the list of 90 chemicals on the 2014 Update to the TSCA Work Plan. TSCA Work Plan chemicals were selected based on their hazard and the public’s potential exposure, as well as other considerations such as persistence and bioaccumulation. In selecting the first 10 chemicals, EPA also took into account recommendations from the public, industry, environmental and public health groups, and members of Congress and tried to give weight to chemicals where work on assessing risks were underway.
3. Will additional chemicals be chosen?
Yes, additional chemicals will be designated for evaluation. These initial risk evaluations are only the start of renewed efforts under amended TSCA to review the safety and mitigate the risks of chemicals already on the market. For each risk evaluation that EPA completes, TSCA requires that EPA begin another. Additionally, by the end of 2019, EPA must have at least 20 chemical risk evaluations ongoing at any given time.
All of the remaining Work Plan chemicals will be reviewed for their potential hazard and exposure. The law requires that at least half of all EPA-initiated risk evaluations be drawn from the TSCA Work Plan until that list has been exhausted.
4. Is EPA proceeding with rules on TCE, N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and methylene chloride?
Yes, for risk assessments completed prior to the enactment date of the new law, Section 26(l)(4) of the law allows EPA to publish proposed and final rules under Section 6(a) consistent with the scope of these risk assessments. These rules cover only certain specific uses of these chemicals.
By including these chemicals in the list of the first ten chemicals, EPA will be evaluating the other remaining uses.