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Framework for Application of the Toxicity Equivalence Methodology for Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans and Biphenyls in Ecological Risk Assessment (External Review Draft)
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Risk Assessment Forum
Federal Register Notices
Polychlorinated dioxins (PCDDs), furans (PCDFs), and biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent contaminants found widely in the environment. Several of these compounds bioaccumulate in the tissues of fish, birds, and mammals, where they have been demonstrated to cause mortality and adverse effects on reproduction, development, and the immune system. This Framework is intended to assist EPA scientists in using a method known as the "toxicity equivalence methodology" to assess ecological risks from mixtures of these compounds. The Framework also informs EPA decision makers, other agencies, and the public about this methodology.
This framework is not a regulation nor is it intended to substitute for federal regulations.
Contact: Risk Assessment Forum Staff, 202-564-6483, or risk.forum@epa.gov
Downloads/Related Links
- Framework for Application of the Toxicity Equivalence Methodology for Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans, and Biphenyls in Ecological Risk Assessment (External Review Draft); Notice of Availability
- Framework for Application of the Toxicity Equivalence Methodology for Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans and Biphenyls in Ecological Risk Assessment (External Review Draft) (PDF) (94 pp, 1MB, About PDF)
Related Link(s)
- Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment
- Interim Procedures for Estimating Risks Associated with Exposures to Mixtures of Chlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins and-Dibenzofurans (Cdds and Cdfs) and 1989 Update
- Workshop on the Use of Available Data and Methods for Assessing the Ecological Risks of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin to Aquatic Life and Associated Wildlife
Additional Information
As announced in the September 22, 2003 Federal Register Notice the public comment period is extended until October 29, 2003. Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or in person, as described in the instructions in the Federal Register notice announcing the availability of the document (see "Downloads" below). The document is undergoing peer review concurrent with the 60-day public comment period.
As a service to reviewers, the 1997 World Health Organization database on relative potencies for PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs cited in the draft Framework is also provided below under "Downloads." Please note that this is not an EPA database.
Citation
U.S. EPA. Framework for Application of the Toxicity Equivalence Methodology for Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans and Biphenyls in Ecological Risk Assessment (External Review Draft). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Risk Assessment Forum, Washington, DC, 630/P-03/002A, 2003.