Lacking Data, EPA Refrains From THF Cancer Value To Avoid Strict Limit

摘要

Saying it lacks adequate data, EPA in its first-time risk assessment of tetrahydrofuran (THF), a widely used chemical solvent, declined to set a cancer potency estimate for the substance though there is some evidence of carcinogenicity - a rare step but one that agency science advisers recommended to avoid calculating an overly stringent cancer estimate. EPA Feb. 21 released its final Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of THF in which the agency cited advice from its panel of peer reviewers in declining to include a cancer potency value due to the experts' concerns that following EPA cancer guidelines for a chemical with limited data would require use of a strict cancer modeling approach that would over-estimate the THF's cancer risk. The document is available on InsideEPA.com. Seepage 2 for details.