Peer Review for Evaluating Risk from High Priority Phthalates

Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) are undergoing risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA is also evaluating cumulative risks from BBP, DBP, DEHP, DIBP, DCHP, and DINP (di-isononyl phthalate) under TSCA. EPA is planning a virtual public meeting for the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) to review the data, methods, models, approaches for these draft chemical risk evaluations, including the supporting draft cumulative risk assessment analysis, for these individual phthalates in the spring of 2025. 

On December 3, 2024, EPA will publish a Federal Register notice requesting nominations of prospective ad hoc expert reviewers to assist the SACC with its peer review. Nominations are due no later than January 2, 2025, via email to the SACC mailbox: SACC@epa.gov. After reviewing the nominations, EPA plans to make a list of interested and available candidates under consideration as prospective ad hoc reviewers available for public comment in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0551 on regulations.gov and through the SACC website.  

EPA anticipates requesting SACC peer review of the questions pertaining to critical inputs and novel approaches contained in these documents to constitute full peer review of the phthalate risk evaluations. The SACC peer review will be focused on the technical support documents that describe the data and analyses of physical chemistry and fate, hazards, exposures, and releases for BBP, DBP, DEHP, DIBP, and DCHP.  

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, and epidemiology. Read the Federal Register notice for additional information.   

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.   

For additional information, contact the Designated Federal Official, Dr. Alaa Kamel, kamel.alaa@epa.gov.