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Overview
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) and Office of Research and Development (ORD) conducted this workshop to review the most recent state of science regarding the mechanisms of asbestos toxicity. The current assessment of asbestos toxicity contained in EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is based primarily on an asbestos assessment completed in 1986. EPA's assessment has not changed substantially since that time. However, since 1986, there have been substantial improvements in asbestos measurement techniques and in the understanding of how asbestos exposure contributes to disease. To incorporate the knowledge gained over the last 17 years into the agency's toxicity assessment for asbestos, EPA was interested in reviewing the most up-to-date peer review literature on the mechanisms of asbestos toxicity.
A panel of scientific experts was selected based on their expertise in relevant fields, such as mechanistic toxicology, pulmonology toxicology, and risk assessment. The panelists were asked to respond to several questions that address key issues, including interpretations of epidemiology and toxicology literature, mechanistic toxicity, and general topics. There was an opportunity for observers to submit questions and comments related to mechanistic toxicity following the panel discussions in each topic area.
The scientific research identified in the workshop is an integral component of the IRIS data file review on asbestos. The current and ongoing research is expected to provide additional information on mechanisms of asbestos toxicity for predicting asbestos related disease. The EPA's Science Advisory Board will be involved in the reviewing of the updated IRIS file on asbestos.