[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 6775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1803]
[[Page 6775]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8029-5]
Guidance on Selecting Age Groups for Monitoring and Assessing
Childhood Exposures to Environmental Contaminants
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Risk
Assessment Forum (RAF) announces the availability of a final report,
``Guidance on Selecting Age Groups for Monitoring and Assessing
Childhood Exposures to Environmental Contaminants'' (EPA/630/P-03/003F,
November 2005). The purpose of this document is to complement existing
EPA guidance and experience to assist Agency risk assessors in
improving the accuracy and consistency of children's exposure
assessments. The document describes a set of age groupings that can be
used and, when necessary, adapted for purposes of designing monitoring
studies and conducting risk assessments focused on children.
ADDRESSES: The document is available electronically through the Risk
Assessment Forum's Web site (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=55887). A limited number of paper copies will be
available from EPA's National Service Center for Environmental
Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone
1-800-490-9198 or 513-489-8190; facsimile: 513-489-8695. Please provide
your name and mailing address and the title and EPA number of the
requested publication.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Bangs, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Risk
Assessment Forum Staff, telephone 202-564-6667; facsimile 202-565-0062;
e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides a set of early-life
age groups for EPA scientists to consider when assessing children's
exposure to environmental contaminants and the resultant potential
dose. These recommended age groups are based on current understanding
of differences in behavior and physiology which may impact exposures in
children. A consistent set of early-life age groups, supported by an
underlying scientific rationale, is expected to improve Agency exposure
and risk assessments for children by increasing the consistency and
comparability of risk assessments across the Agency; by improving
accuracy and transparency in assessments for those cases where current
practice might too broadly combine behaviorally and physiologically
disparate age groups; and by fostering a consistent approach to future
exposure surveys and data gathering efforts to generate improved
exposure factors for children.
An external review draft of the document was made available for
public comment in September 2003, and a meeting, to which the public
was invited as observers, was held in January 2004 to provide
independent expert peer review on the draft document. The document was
revised based on input received during the peer review process, and
from public review and comment. See Federal Docket Management System
docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2004-0001 on the Internet at
www.regulations.gov.
Dated: January 30, 2006.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E6-1803 Filed 2-8-06; 8:45 am]
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