[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 61098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25412]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9474-2]


Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition; Release of Final Report

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: On September 30, 2011, the EPA publically released the final 
report entitled Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition. The document 
was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) 
within EPA's Office of Research and Development. The Exposure Factors 
Handbook: 2011 Edition provides information on various physiological 
and behavioral factors commonly used in assessing exposure to 
environmental chemicals. The handbook was first published in 1989 and 
was updated in 1997. This edition incorporates information made 
available from 1997 up until July 2011. It also reflects the revisions 
made to the Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook, which was last 
updated and published in 2008. Each chapter in the Exposure Factors 
Handbook: 2011 Edition presents recommended values for the exposure 
factors covered in that particular chapter's exposure route as well as 
a discussion of the underlying data used in developing the 
recommendations.
    The Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition (EPA/600/R-09/052F) is 
available via the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ncea.

DATES: This report was posted publically on September 30, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The report is available primarily via the Internet on the 
National Center for Environmental Assessment's home page under the 
Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. 
Paper copies of the report are not available. A limited number of CD-
ROMs will be available from the Information Management Team, NCEA; 
telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-347-8691. If you are requesting 
a CD-ROM, please provide your name, your mailing address, and the 
document title.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, contact 
the National Center for Environmental Assessment; Jacqueline Moya; 
telephone: 703-347-8539; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Project/Document

    The Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition provides a summary of 
the available statistical data on various factors used in assessing 
human exposure. These factors include: drinking water consumption; 
mouthing behavior; soil ingestion rates; inhalation rates; dermal 
factors, including skin area and soil adherence factors; consumption of 
fruits and vegetables, fish, meats, dairy products, and homegrown 
foods; human milk intake; human activity factors; consumer product use; 
and building characteristics. This handbook is intended for use by 
exposure assessors, within the Agency as well as those outside, as a 
reference tool and primary source of exposure factor information. It 
may be used by scientists, economists, and other interested parties as 
a source of data and/or U.S. EPA recommendations on numeric estimates 
for behavioral and physiological characteristics needed to estimate 
exposure to environmental agents. Recommended values are available for 
the general population and, for most of the exposure factors, are also 
available by age, sex, as well as for other populations that may have 
characteristics different from the general population.

    Dated: September 23, 2011.
Darrell A. Winner,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2011-25412 Filed 9-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P