Meetings: Issues associated with dermal exposure and uptake; technical workshop,

[Federal Register: November 23, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 225)]

[Notices]

[Page 64713-64714]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr23no98-98]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6192-2]

Technical Workshop on Issues Associated With Dermal Exposure and Uptake

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a meeting, organized and convened by Eastern Research Group, Inc., a contractor to EPA's Risk Assessment Forum, for external scientific peer consultation on issues related to the assessment of dermal exposure and uptake. The meeting is being held to discuss methods under development or currently in use by EPA to assess dermal exposure to environmental contaminants with subsequent absorption across the skin.

DATES: The meeting will begin on Thursday, December 10, 1998, at 8:30 a.m. and end on Friday, December 11, 1998, at 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Bethesda Ramada, 8400 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Eastern Research Group, Inc., an EPA contractor, will convene and facilitate the workshop. To register to attend the workshop as an observer, contact Eastern Research Group, Inc., Tel: (781) 674-7374, or visit their HomePage at http://www.erg.com/erg/confer.htm by December 1, 1998. You may also obtain additional information and register by visiting the National Center for Environmental Assessment HomePage at http://www.epa.gov/ ncea/new.htm. Space is limited so please register early.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning the workshop on dermal exposure and uptake issues please contact Steven Knott, U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development (8601-D), 401 M St., SW., Washington, D.C. 20460, Telephone (202) 564-3359.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the development of EPA guidance on assessing dermal exposure to and uptake of environmental contaminants, several generic, cross-cutting issues have been identified. These issues were referred to the EPA Risk Assessment Forum (RAF) for discussions within the broader scientific community. The present Workshop is being held to provide a peer consultation for invited participants to discuss these issues. The information obtained through these discussions will be considered by EPA as work continues on dermal exposure and risk initiatives.

In January 1992, the EPA Office of Health and Environmental Assessment (now the National Center for Environmental Assessment, NCEA) completed an interim report entitled Dermal Exposure Assessment: Principles and Applications. This report provides guidance for conducting dermal exposure and risk assessments. Using this as a foundation, a workgroup convened under the Superfund program has been developing an expanded and updated guidance on dermal exposure

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and uptake. A draft of this guidance was peer reviewed in February 1998. During this review, several broad issues related to dermal exposure and risk assessment were identified. These issues transcend the program specific approaches of Superfund and are important to dermal exposure and risk assessment practices Agency-wide. The generic issues, that will be the focal point for discussions during the present workshop, can be organized into four categories: issues associated with dermal exposure to contaminants in water, issues associated with dermal exposure to contaminants in soil, issues associated with the adjustment of toxicity factors to reflect absorbed dose, and issues related to risk characterization and uncertainty analysis for dermal assessments.

Dated: November 13, 1998. William H. Farland, Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.

[FR Doc. 98-31246Filed11-20-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P