[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 225 (Monday, November 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64713-64714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31246]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6192-2]


Technical Workshop on Issues Associated With Dermal Exposure and 
Uptake

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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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

[[Page 64714]]

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. 98-31246 Filed 11-20-98; 8:45 am]
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