Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Environmental Topics
  • Laws & Regulations
  • Report a Violation
  • About EPA
Risk Assessment
Contact Us

IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (External Review Draft, 2017)

On this page:

  • Overview
  • History
  • Downloads

Alert
Alert Notice - This site contains archived material(s)

Archive disclaimer
Archived files are provided for reference purposes only. The file was current when produced, but is no longer maintained and may now be outdated. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing archived files may contact the Risk Webmaster for assistance. Please use the contact us form if you need additional support.

Abstract

The IRIS Toxicological Review of tert-Butyl Alcohol (tert-Butanol or tBA) was released for external peer review in June 2017. EPA’s Science Advisory Board’s (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) will conduct a peer review of the scientific basis supporting the tBA assessment and release a final report of their review. Information regarding the peer review can be found on the SAB website.
tert-Butyl Alcohol (tBA) is used as a solvent; as a denaturant for ethanol and several other alcohols; in the manufacture of flotation agents, fruit essences, and perfumes; as an octane booster in gasoline; as a dehydrating agent; and as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate. tBA's production for industrial uses may result in its direct release to the environment through various waste streams. tBA is also a likely degradation product of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Probable routes of human exposure to tBA include inhalation, ingestion, and skin or eye contact.

Impact/Purpose

EPA is conducting an Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for tert-butanol (TBA). The outcome of this project is a Toxicological Review for TBA that will be entered into the IRIS database for use in decision making and risk assessment by EPA program and regional offices, as well as state, federal, and international agencies.

Status

Following external peer review, the assessment will be revised. The assessment will then undergo a final EPA internal review and a review by other federal agencies and the Executive Office of the President. Once final, the assessment will be posted to the IRIS database.

Citation

U.S. EPA. IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (External Review Draft, 2017). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-17/015, 2017.

History/Chronology

Date Description
01- Aug 2013 EPA released preliminary assessment materials (draft literature searches and associated search strategies, evidence tables and exposure response arrays) for discussion at an IRIS Public Science Meeting.
02- Dec 2013 EPA discussed tert-butanol at the December 2013 IRIS public science meeting.
03- Sep 2014 EPA sent an interagency science consultation draft for review and comment.
04- May 2016 EPA released the public comment draft for public review and comment.
05- Jun 2016 EPA convened a public science meeting June 29-30, 2016 to discuss the public comment draft.
06- Jun 2017 EPA released the external review draft and charge to reviewers prior to the public peer review meeting.[SAB FR Notice Jun 16, 2017]
07- Jul 2017 EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) hosted a public teleconference to discuss the draft assessment.
08- Aug 2017 EPA's SAB hosted a 2-day public meeting on August 15-17, 2017, to discuss the draft assessment.
09- Feb 2019 EPA's SAB released a final report of their review of the draft IRIS assessment (see downloads).

Download(s)

This download(s) is distributed solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. It has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency determination or policy.

  • IRIS Toxicological Review of tert-Butyl Alcohol (tert-Butanol) (External Review Draft) (PDF)  (137  pp, 2.5 MB, about PDF)
  • IRIS Toxicological Review of tert-Butyl Alcohol (tert-Butanol) (External Review Draft), Supplemental Information (External Review Draft) (PDF)  (99  pp, 1.5 MB, about PDF)
  • Draft Charge for the Peer Review of tert-Butanol (PDF)  (4  pp, 722.7 KB, about PDF)
  • SAB Final Charge to Reviewers (Jul 26, 2017)
  • Review of EPA's Draft Assessment Entitled Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether and Toxicological Review of tert-Butyl Alcohol (tert-Butanol)
  • AGENCY RESPONSE

Related Link(s)

  • SAB Meeting Details (July & August 2017 public meetings)
  • SAB Activity Page for tert-Butyl Alcohol (tert-butanol)
  • IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (Preliminary Assessment Materials, 2013)
  • IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (Public Comment Draft, 2016)
  • IRIS Toxicological Review of Tert-Butyl Alcohol (TBA) (Interagency Science Consultation Draft, 2014)

Federal Register Notices

  • SAB FR Notice: Jun 16, 2017
  • Risk Assessment Home
  • About Risk Assessment
  • Risk Recent Additions
  • Human Health Risk Assessment
  • Ecological Risk Assessment
  • Risk Advanced Search
    • Risk Publications
  • Risk Assessment Guidance
  • Risk Tools and Databases
  • Superfund Risk Assessment
  • Where you live
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 19, 2021
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshots
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.