EPA Calls for Nominations of Peer Reviewers for Phthalates BBP, DBP, DEHP, DIBP, and DCHP
Released December 2, 2024
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for nominations of scientific and technical experts that EPA can consider for service as ad hoc reviewers assisting the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of the Agency's data, methods, models, and approaches for the evaluations of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP). This includes the cross-phthalate technical support documents for human health benchmark dose analysis, cancer analysis, and cumulative risk analysis.
These chemicals are primarily used as plasticizers in PVC products and in adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, rubbers, and other applications. Because of their widespread use in industrial and consumer products, people can be exposed to many phthalates. Phthalates have been found in food and have also been measured in human blood samples. Numerous laboratory animal studies have demonstrated that prenatal phthalate exposure can impact male development and reproduction, in a phenomenon known as “phthalate syndrome” (e.g., decreased fetal testicular testosterone, male reproductive tract malformations, male nipple retention, and decreased male fertility).
Nominees should be scientists who have sufficient professional qualifications, including training and expertise, to be capable of providing expert comments on the scientific issues for this review. EPA will be soliciting comments from the experts on the approach and methodologies used in the draft risk evaluation. Nominees should have expertise in at least one of the following areas: risk assessment, ecological risk assessment, human health assessment, exposure assessment, human health toxicology, biostatistics, epidemiology, or mixtures risk assessment. Read the Federal Register notice for additional information.
When nominating a candidate to serve as an ad hoc reviewer for this risk evaluation, do not submit any information considered to be confidential business information or other restricted information. Members of the public should also be aware that personal contact information, if included in any written comments, may be posted on the internet.
Prospective candidates will also be asked to submit confidential financial information to fully disclose, among other financial interests, the candidate's employment, stocks and bonds, and where applicable, sources of research support. EPA will evaluate the candidates' financial disclosure forms to assess whether there are financial conflicts of interest, appearance of a loss of impartiality, or any prior involvement with the development of the documents under consideration (including previous scientific peer review) before the candidate is considered further.
The SACC peer review will take place at a virtual public meeting to be scheduled for the spring of 2025. The SACC’s peer review will inform the Agency’s final risk evaluation documents and risk management decisions under TSCA. The final selection of the ad hoc peer reviewers will depend upon the scientific expertise needed to address the SACC peer review charge and obtaining a breadth and balance of different scientific viewpoints across the SACC and ad hoc peer reviewers.
Nominations are due no later than 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register, via email to the SACC mailbox: [email protected].
The SACC serves as a scientific peer review mechanism of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. It provides independent scientific advice and recommendations to EPA on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies and pollution prevention measures and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.
For more information, view the Federal Register notice or contact the Designated Federal Official, Dr. Alaa Kamel, [email protected].
EPA recognizes that it will be requesting public comment and peer review on a large number of technical support documents for the phthalate risk evaluations. The Agency plans to release these documents over the next six months, but will ensure that peer reviewers and stakeholders have sufficient time to review. EPA will announce its schedule for releasing the risk evaluation documents next week (the week of December 10, 2024). See announcement here.