U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Health Effects Research on Drinking Water Contaminants.

摘要

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Health Effects Research Laboratory (HERL) provides chemical-specific data and scientific methods that are used by the EPA Office of Water in the development of regulations required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. To determine the chemical and microbial contaminants in drinking water that are of greatest public health concern, HERL conducts hazard identification and dose-response research in humans, animals, and in vitro. HERL conducts studies on pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action to facilitate the extrapolation of toxicity data from animals to humans. Characterization of the risks associated with human exposure to contaminants in drinking water involves a multi-laboratory/office effort to incorporate information on hazard, dose-response, and exposure into chemical and microbial risk models. The many uncertainties in the underlying health effects data base and in the models used for assessing chemical and microbial risks highlight the need for a strong drinking water health research program in the years to come.