[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58409-58410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29075]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH; 
National Toxicology Program

    Notice of workshop on ``Scientific Issues Relevant to Assessment of 
Health Effects from Exposure to Methylmercury'', November 18-20, 1998, 
at the Brownestone Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Background

    At the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology 
an interagency committee has organized the subject workshop to discuss 
and evaluate the major epidemiological studies associating 
methylmercury exposure with an array of developmental measures in 
children. The organizing committee is chaired by the National Institute 
of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, with 
representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Agency 
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Food and Drug 
Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, and the Office of Management and Budget.
    The major studies being considered at the workshop are those which 
have examined populations in Iraq and the Seychelles, the Faeore 
Islands, and the Amazon, along with the most relevant animal studies 
for estimating human risks. Workshop participants will try to reach 
consensus on what we can conclude and what the uncertainties are for 
each of the studies alone and for the studies taken together. The 
product of the workshop should be policy relevant and facilitate 
agreement on risk assessment issues.

Workshop Agenda

    Scientists involved in the major studies will present and discuss 
their

[[Page 58410]]

studies. To help structure the workshop the following questions have 
been developed by the organizing committee and will be discussed with 
respect to each study:
    1. For each study, what are the relative exposures to organic or 
inorganic mercury?
    2. What are the sources of exposure? Is the consumption of fish, 
shellfish and marine mammals the dominant source? Are dental amalgams, 
occupational exposures or other sources significant confounders?
    3. What is the specificity and sensitivity of health endpoints, 
e.g., behavioral, neurological, and developmental? What are the most 
specific and sensitive tests of these endpoints? How are these tests 
impacted by cultural or behavioral practices?
    4. Are the developmental tests used comparable across different 
studies? Across species?
    5. What are the confounders that affect health endpoints positively 
(e.g., selenium, omega-3 fatty acids) and negatively (e.g., PCBs; 
alcohol use; health conditions with neurological effects, such as 
diabetes)? Do they influence the interpretation of the study.
    6. What is the variability within and across populations studied in 
mercury exposure and host factors (e.g., age, gender, nutritional 
status and practices, and genetic predisposition)?
    7. For each epidemiological study of interest, which features of 
its statistical design, research protocol or execution in the field are 
particularly strong or weak? To what extent do these strengths and 
weaknesses affect the validity and reliability of scientific inferences 
based on these studies?
    8. What are the contributions of animal or experimental studies 
toward interpretation of the human studies?
    Organized panels will assess the presentations with respect to the 
questions above. A panel on exposure will assess and develop a report 
on questions 1 & 2; a neurobehavioral panel will assess and develop a 
report on questions 3 & 4; a panel on confounders and variables will 
address 5 & 6; and a panel on design/statistics will assess and report 
on question 7; question 8 will be addressed by the experimental panel.
    Invited workshop participants will include scientists involved in 
the major studies, epidemiologists, pediatric neuropsychiatrists, 
developmental biologists, toxicologists, biomathematicians, 
biomonitoring specialists and scientists who are skilled at integrating 
diverse data sets, as well as representatives from Federal and State 
agencies who are involved in assessing risks from methylmercury 
exposure.
    A public comment session will provide the opportunity for 
additional views and comments. Oral presentations will be limited to 5 
minutes in length to allow for a maximum number of presentations. 
Written statements should supplement and may expand on the oral 
presentation. Written comments may also be provided and should be 
submitted to the NTP Liaison & Scientific Review Office, NIEHS, P.O. 
Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 and must be received by 
November 9, 1998, to be transmitted to the workgroups prior to the 
workshop.

The Preliminary Schedule Follows

Wednesday, November 18, 1998

8:30 am-6:00 pm  Presentation and Discussion of Each Epidemiology Study 
and a Presentation and Discussion of the major animal or experimental 
studies

Thursday, November 19, 1998

8:30 am-Noon  Moderators will lead panel discussions addressing each of 
the 8 questions in the general session
1:00 pm-2:00 pm  Public Comment Session
2:00 pm-6:00 pm  Panels develop recommendations and conclusions in 
separate breakout groups

Friday, November 20, 1998

8:30 am-Noon  Each panel will make a summary presentation on their 
assessment of the assigned questions
Noon  Overview and Summary
1:00 pm  Adjourn

Public Participation Encouraged

    The general sessions and the breakout groups are open to the public 
and limited only by the space available. A public comment session is 
scheduled as described above. Oral and/or written comments are 
requested as discussed above.

Registration

    To register, please provide the following information: to the 
Workshop on ``Scientific Issues Relevant to Assessment of Health 
Effects from Exposure to Methylmercury''.
``Scientific Issues Relevant to Assessment of Health Effects from 
Exposure to Methylmercury''
(Open to the public, limited only by space available)

Brownestone Hotel, Raleigh, NC, November 18-20, 1998

(Please type or print clearly)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Name  First Name  Middle Initial
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Institution      Department
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Address    City    State    Zip Code
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Office Phone  FAX Number  Email Address
    Please mail or fax your registration, no later than November 6, 
1998 to:

NTP Liaison & Scientific Review Office, NTP/NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD: 
A3-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, fax: (919) 541-0295

    I am interested in observing the following break-out group 
discussion: ``Breakout'' Panel Sessions: (Please mark first and second 
choices)
1. Exposure Panel------------------------------------------------------
2. Neurobehavioral Endpoints Panel-------------------------------------
3. Confounders & Variables Panel---------------------------------------
4. Design/Statistics Panel---------------------------------------------
5. Experimental Panel--------------------------------------------------

    Public Comment Session:
    I would like to make an oral presentation during the Public Comment 
Session____________
(limit to 5 minute oral presentation, written statements should 
supplement and may expand on the oral presentation)
    A registration fee of $50.00 (US) is requested. Credit cards cannot 
be accepted. Personal checks, cashier checks or money orders made 
payable to: Methylmercury Workshop should be included with your 
registration. For those faxing registration, please indicate the date 
the registration fee is being fowarded by mail.

Accomodations

    Hotel reservations can be made directly with the Brownestone Hotel 
(919) 828-0811. A block of rooms is being held through October 30, 
1998. Identify yourself as attending the NIEHS Methylmercury Workshop.

    Dated: October 21, 1998.
Samuel H. Wilson, M.D.,
Deputy Director, NIEHS
[FR Doc. 98-29075 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am]
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