US EPA

Formaldehyde, vinyl acetate, and acetaldehyde are all listed as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and each is associated with significant ambient exposures. Risk assessments are required for each chemical to support major regulatory activities of EPA program offices. All three chemicals have been listed for development of toxicological reviews to be included in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) database of human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment. EPA's Office of Research and Development is preparing the toxicological reviews and will submit them to the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) for external peer review.

The purpose of this overview is to describe the scope of the required evaluation that a participant can expect to provide as an ad hoc member of the SAB. The nature of the quantitative analyses, conceptual approaches, and scientific issues involved in the three proposed risk assessments will be described so that individuals can evaluate their interest in participating in the scientific peer review and identify specific area(s) where their expertise might be best utilized.