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IRIS Assessment Plan for Nitrate and Nitrite (Scoping and Problem Formulation Materials, 2017)

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  • History
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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 The file was current when produced, but is no longer maintained and may now be outdated.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

An IRIS Assessment Plan (IAP) communicates to the public the plan for assessing each individual chemical and includes summary information on the IRIS Program’s scoping and initial problem formulation; objectives and specific aims for the assessment; the PECO (Populations, Exposures, Comparators, and Outcomes) criteria that outlines the evidence considered most pertinent to the assessment; and identification of key areas of scientific complexity. The PECO provides the framework for developing literature search strategies and inclusion/exclusion criteria, particularly with respect to evidence stream (i.e., human, animal, mechanistic), exposure measures and outcome measures.
Nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−), naturally occurring anions in the environment, play an essential role in Earth’s nitrogen cycle. Since 1950, human sources of nitrogen have increased substantially, creating a global surplus of nitrate/nitrite that supersedes natural sources by about 30%. Nitrate salts are mainly used as nitrogen fertilizers and in industrial explosives, fireworks, and glass making, whereas nitrites are largely used as preservatives for meat and fish curing and as color fixatives.

Impact/Purpose

This outcome from the release of this document of the draft assessment plan for nitrate and nitrite that will be the subject of an SAB/Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee meeting that will was held September 2017 in order to define the scope and approach for the development of the IRIS assessment for nitrate and nitrite.

Citation

U.S. EPA. IRIS Assessment Plan for Nitrate and Nitrite (Scoping and Problem Formulation Materials, 2017). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/635/R-17/331, 2017.

History/Chronology

Date Description
01- Sep 2017 EPA released the IRIS Assessment Plan (IAP) for Nitrate and Nitrite for public comment and review. [Federal Register Notice Sep 18, 2017]
02- Sep 2017 EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) hosted a public meeting on September 27-28, 2017 to discuss the assessment. Information regarding the meeting can be found on the SAB website.
03- Apr 2019 EPA suspended the assessment in fiscal year 2019. It may be restarted as Agency priorities change.

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 Assessment Plan for Nitrate and Nitrite (Sep 2017) (PDF)  (19  pp, 394.5 KB, about PDF)
  • Memorandum: SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee Briefing on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Evolution of Assessment Practices (PDF)  (4  pp, 176.8 KB, about PDF)
  • EPA-HQ-ORD-2017-0496

Related Link(s)

  • IRIS Program Outlook April 2019-Suspended/Discontinued Assessment

HERO Project

  • Literature Search References Sorted by Author (Nitrates and Nitrites)

Federal Register Notices

  • FR Notice: Sep 18, 2017
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Last updated on November 02, 2023
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