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PA EPA ISSUES UPDATED TEST GUIDELINES TO ENHANCE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
Release Date: 07/31/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1998
EPA ISSUES UPDATED TEST GUIDELINES TO
ENHANCE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
ENHANCE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
EPA is issuing an updated set of test guidelines that will provide the Agency with better information on the health effects of chemicals, particularly their potential reproductive and developmental effects in infants and children. The new guidelines will apply when industry conducts laboratory studies that are used to evaluate the safety of new and existing chemicals and pesticides. The updated guidelines are key to meeting stringent, new safety standards required by the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, and include both new testing requirements and enhancements to previous requirements. New guidance is provided for conducting laboratory tests to determine the toxic effects of a chemical on the immune system. Previous guidance has been updated and expanded to assess chemical effects on metabolism, developmental neurotoxicity, and reproductive and prenatal developmental toxicity. In addition to providing EPA with better information on the potential reproductive and developmental effects of chemicals on children, the new guidelines achieve consistency among the testing programs administered by EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. The guidelines are consistent with international testing protocols agreed to by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD is an international organization that represents the governments of most industrialized nations. Achieving consistency with the OECD’s testing guidelines will enable industry to satisfy chemical testing requirements in both the United States and other OECD member nations. The guidelines have undergone peer review and public comment. They constitute the “Series 870, Health Effects Test Guidelines” of EPA’s unified library of test guidelines and become effective in 45 days. The final guidelines are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, on the Federal Bulletin Board. Electronic access is also available via Internet and in ASCII and PDF (portable document format) from the EPA Public Access Gopher (gopher.epa.gov) under the heading “Environmental Test Methods and Guidelines.” Hardcopies of the guidelines can be ordered from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
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