{"id":13040,"date":"2024-06-25T09:23:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T14:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/?p=13040"},"modified":"2025-12-18T13:19:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:19:24","slug":"first-things-first-vinyl-chloride-data-updates-and-our-case-for-stronger-evaluations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2024\/06\/25\/first-things-first-vinyl-chloride-data-updates-and-our-case-for-stronger-evaluations\/","title":{"rendered":"First things first: vinyl chloride data updates and our case for stronger evaluations"},"content":{"rendered":"
NOTE: This is the first of a series about EPA\u2019s <\/span>prioritization <\/span>of<\/span> existing<\/span> chemicals.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n

\u00a0<\/span>What Happened?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EPA recently announced it had initiated the prioritization process for five chemicals for upcoming risk evaluation.\u00a0 One of the chemicals, vinyl chloride, is a highly toxic chemical known to cause liver toxicity and liver cancer in humans. The other four chemicals are also carcinogens and cause other toxic effects such as harms to pregnant women and infants. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have added these five chemicals to our<\/span> Chemical Exposure Action Map<\/span>.<\/span><\/a> Our map shows releases of TSCA high priority chemicals, focusing on three major categories of health harms from cumulative exposure to these chemicals: cancer, developmental harm, and asthma.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\"U.S.<\/a><\/span>Why It Matters<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prioritizing a chemical as high priority is a key step in the process of evaluating and managing its unreasonable risks under TSCA.\u00a0 The factors and data that EPA considers when prioritizing chemicals affects whether EPA designates a chemical as a high priority and how effectively the Agency will be able to assess its risks, especially to more highly exposed individuals and those more susceptible to the chemicals, like fenceline communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We support the designation of these five chemicals, particularly vinyl chloride, as high-priority chemicals for evaluation.\u00a0 However, as we explain in <\/span>our recent comments<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> EPA can improve its prioritization process to consider the more real-world risks faced by people who are more highly impacted by these toxic chemicals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Our Take<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EPA can improve its prioritization in two important ways.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, EPA should systematically prioritize chemicals released or used together that cause the same toxic harms.\u00a0 Considering the cumulative risk posed by chemicals that cause the same harm provides a more complete and real-world picture of the risks fenceline communities face because exposure to multiple chemicals causing the same or similar health harms increases the risk of serious health problems.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Second, in prioritizing chemicals and evaluating the risks from these chemicals, EPA should consider exposures from accidental releases, including transportation accidents such as from the East Palestine, Ohio <\/span>train derailment<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 In the past, EPA has generally not considered these exposures despite the significant contributions they can have to the chemical\u2019s risk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EPA has a major opportunity to improve its prioritization and evaluation processes so that it can develop a fuller picture of the risks posed by toxic chemicals. This would provide the Agency with the basis to develop regulations that will more fully protect human health and the environment, including for those people at greatest potential risk, like fenceline communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EPA is now in the process of determining whether vinyl chloride and the other four chemicals the Agency is assessing should be designated as high priority chemicals.\u00a0 If they are designated as high priority, EPA will begin risk evaluations for these chemicals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In our next post, we will recommend ways EPA can improve its prioritization process by incorporating cumulative risk analyses and considerations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This is the first of a series about EPA\u2019s prioritization of existing chemicals.\u00a0 \u00a0What Happened?\u00a0 EPA recently announced it had initiated the prioritization process for five chemicals for upcoming risk evaluation.\u00a0 One of the chemicals, vinyl chloride, is a highly toxic chemical known to cause liver toxicity and liver cancer in humans. The other …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151199,"featured_media":12971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114079,114073,114075],"tags":[],"coauthors":[114042],"class_list":["post-13040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chemical-exposure","category-cumulative-risk-assessment","category-risk-evaluation"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t