IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (External Review Draft, 2017)
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Abstract
The IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) 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 ETBE assessment and release a final report of their review. Information regarding the peer review can be found on the SAB website.ETBE is used as a fuel additive for gasoline to increase octane rating and has been used to meet air pollution reduction goals in the U.S. under the Clean Air Act. The use of ether oxygenates such as ETBE in reformulated gasoline in the U.S. was effectively eliminated in 2006; however, use and production of these oxygenates has continued in Europe and Asia for the purpose of increasing octane rating in gasoline. ETBE may be used as a substitute to replace the volume and oxygenate properties of methyl tertiary butyl ether, an oxygenate widely used in the U.S. prior to 2006. The main source of exposure to ETBE in the U.S. is from exposure to contaminated groundwater due to leaking underground storage tanks.
Impact/Purpose
EPA is conducting an Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE). The outcome of this project is a Toxicological Review for ETBE 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 Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (External Review Draft, 2017). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-17/016, 2017.History/Chronology
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 06- Aug 2013 | EPA released preliminary assessment materials (e.g., literature searches and associated search strategies, evidence tables, and exposure response arrays) of ETBE for public discussion at the December 2013 IRIS Bimonthly Public Meeting. |
| 07- Dec 2013 | EPA convened a public science meeting to discuss preliminary assessment materials. |
| 08- Sep 2014 | EPA submitted the draft assessments of ETBE for Interagency Science Consultation. |
| 09- Sep 2016 | EPA announced the availability of the draft assessment of ETBE for public comment and discussion and released the interagency science consultation draft, EPA response to select comments, and comments from reviewers. [Federal Register Notice Sep 1, 2016] |
| 10- Oct 2016 | EPA convened a public science meeting to discuss the public comment draft of the IRIS assessment of ETBE. |
| 11- 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] |
| 12- 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 Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (External Review Draft) (PDF) (187 pp, 7.3 MB, about PDF)
- IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE), Supplemental Information (External Review Draft) (PDF) (124 pp, 1.6 MB, about PDF)
- Draft Charge for the Peer Review of ETBE (PDF) (4 pp, 159.2 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
- SAB Activity Page for Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE)
- IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (Interagency Science Consultation Draft, 2016)
- IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (Preliminary Assessment Materials, 2013)
- IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (Public Comment Draft, 2016)