Pressure mounts for more thorough

Abstract

More complete testing of human health impacts from high-production chemicals may be in the offing because of a collaboration of sorts among the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Representatives from the three groups met last month to discuss the general issue of conducting screening tests for some 3,000 so-called high-production-volume chemicalschemicals that are sold or produced annually in the U.S. in quantities greater than 1 million lb. Attendees described it as an orientation meeting to help lay the groundwork for a better approach to chemical testing. Many of these chemicals were in use before the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was passed in 1976 and were grandfathered in, avoiding testing requirements for new chemical compounds under that law. Basic health screening data are not publicly available for 71% of those compounds, according to a sampling of 100 high-volume chemicals by EDF. CMA challenged that n...