[CPEO-MEF] Critique of the process for setting the IRIS perchlorate reference dose

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

This editorial originally appeared in the June 2005 edition of Human and 
Ecological Risk Assessment.



Consequences, Ethical Obligations, IRIS, NAS Reviews and Perchlorate in 
Drinking Water

David R. Brown
Editorial
RedNova
July 31, 2005

In February 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 
placed a reference dose (RfD) and drinking water equivalent level on 
their Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database, but without 
the usual internal agency review, external review, public notice, and 
comment period (USEPA 2005). The RfD was taken from the Report of the 
National Academy of Sciences' Committee to Assess the Health 
Implications of Perchlorate (NRC 2005). The USEPA action raises 
scientific and societal questions that extend beyond the science and 
policy of risk assessment, touching the disciplines of ethics and 
morality. The scientific questions address the adequacy and 
appropriateness of the value derived by the National Academy of 
Sciences's (NAS's) perchlorate committee. Equally important, there are 
also societal consequences when a major change occurs to a tool that is 
a key component in public health protection. The purpose of this 
editorial is not to simply discuss the details of the scientific 
questions, but rather to address broader concerns on the ethical 
obligations of risk assessors in public health.

...

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=192404


For the original in Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, go to
http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?wasp=2b48a427191641bcbc6ee506b64a69a2&referrer=parent&backto=issue,1,12;journal,1,30;linkingpublicationresults,1:105863,1

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org

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