[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 27152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12261]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Toxicology Program (NTP); National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences; NTP Announces the Release of the NTP 
Final Report From the Endocrine Disruptors Low-Dose Peer Review for 
Public Comment

Summary

    The National Toxicology Program (NTP)/National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) organized and conducted a 
scientific peer review at the request of the US Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate reported low-dose reproductive and 
developmental effects and dose-response relationships for endocrine 
disrupting chemicals. The NTP is soliciting public comment prior to 
transmitting the final report to the US EPA. Public comments received 
in response to this solicitation will be included in the final 
transmittal. The final report is available on the NTP web site at 
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov or by contacting the NTP Office of 
Liaison and Scientific Review; 919-541-0530 (phone); 919-541-0295 
(fax); [email protected]; 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. 
Box 12233, MD A3-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Background

    The NTP final report will be provided to the US EPA to help guide 
the agency in determining whether or not its guidelines for 
reproductive and developmental toxicity testing are adequate for 
endocrine active chemicals. For this meeting, ``low-dose effects'' 
referred to biological changes that occur in the range of human 
exposures or at doses lower than those typically used in the US EPA's 
standard testing paradigm for evaluating reproductive and developmental 
toxicity.
    The peer review included plenary sessions and several subpanel 
meetings. The peer review panel was divided into five subpanels: 
Bisphenol A, Other Environmental Estrogens and Estradiol, Androgens and 
Anti-Androgens, Biological Factors and Study Design, and Statistics and 
Dose-Response Modeling. The Panel examined data from major, selected 
studies (excluding studies on phthalates and dioxin and dioxin-like 
compounds) supporting the presence or absence of low-dose effects in 
laboratory animals that could be relevant for human health assessments. 
The Panel was also asked to evaluate the shape of the dose-response 
curve for endocrine active substances in the low-dose region. Prior to 
the peer review, members of the Statistics and Dose-Response Modeling 
Subpanel analyzed the raw data on selected parameters for 38 studies 
and provided its analyses to the other subpanels. At the peer review, 
members from this subpanel participated in other subpanels.

Request for Public Comment on the Final Report

    Interested parties are encouraged to submit written comments on the 
NTP Endocrine Disruptors Low-Dose Peer Review Final Report. Comments 
should include name, affiliation, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail 
and sponsoring organization (if any). The NTP invites written public 
comment on the final report through July 16, 2001. Comments should be 
submitted to the NTP Office of Liaison and Scientific Review; 919-541-
0530 (phone); 919-541-0295 (fax); [email protected] ; 111 
T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-01, Research Triangle Park, 
NC 27709.

Additional Information About the Endocrine Disruptors Low-Dose Peer 
Review

    For additional information about the Endocrine Disruptors Low-Dose 
Peer Review including the peer review's program, list of participants, 
literature reference lists, and Federal Register notices, visit the NTP 
web site at: 
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov
    Previously three Federal Register notices were published about this 
peer review: January 6, 2000, Volume 65, Number 4, pages 784-787; April 
17, 2000, Volume 65, Number 74, pages 20478-20479; September 27, 2000, 
Volume 65, Number 188, pages 58097-58099.

    Dated: May 8, 2001.
Kenneth Olden,
Director, NIEHS, Director, NTP.
[FR Doc. 01-12261 Filed 5-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P