Asbestos Among Chemicals to Be Reviewed by EPA

Asbestos has been listed among ten chemicals The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will evaluate for potential health and environmental risks under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The ten chemicals under evaluation were chosen from a list of 90 selected chemicals based on their potential for hazard and exposure, among other considerations.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber used in home building, car brake systems, and a wide range of other industries and applications. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer which can take decades after exposure to appear.

Per the TSCA, the EPA must release a scoping document within six months for each chemical, which is to include the chemical’s hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the agency plans to consider for the evaluation.

The complete list of the first ten chemicals to be evaluated are:

1. Asbestos
2. 1,4-Dioxane
3. 1-Bromopropane
4. Carbon Tetrachloride
5. Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster
6. Methylene Chloride
7. N-methylpyrrolidone
8. Pigment Violet 29
9. Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene
10. Trichloroethylene

EPA Risk Evaluation for Asbestos:

https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-evaluation-asbestos-0

For more information on all of the chemicals listed:

https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/evaluating-risk-existing-chemicals-under-tsca