EXPERTS SURPRISED EPA DIVERGES FROM IARC, NTP ON BERYLLIUM RISKS

摘要

Risk assessment experts are raising concerns and surprise that EPA is ignoring the conclusions of two major toxicity assessment organizations - one national and the other international - in failing to classify beryllium, a metal used in nuclear, electronics and aerospace applications, as a known human carcinogen. The divergence between EPA and the other organizations comes as the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is preparing its own report on beryllium's carcinogenicity and could raise controversy over what the scientifically correct classification should be. Beryllium is among the first substances to be assessed under a new review process established for EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, whose risk assessments are used to set regulatory levels nationwide. The IRIS program is accepting public comment on the beryllium carcinogenicity assessment.