November 18, 2015
Toxics Use Reduction Institute Science Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
November 18, 2015
DEP, 1 Winter Street, Boston
12:30PM
Members: Robin Dodson, Larry Boise (Vice-Chair), Dave Williams (Chair), Christy Foran, Hilary Hackbart, Ken Weinberg, Amy Cannon
Program Staff: Mary Butow (TURI), Tsedash Zewdie (DEP), Heather Tenney (TURI), John Raschko (OTA), Liz Harriman (TURI)
Other attendees: Denise Kmetzo (Collaborative Risk Solutions), Trisha McCarthy (Coyne PC for ACC), Steve Rosario (ACC-Northeast), Brian Trinque, Brian French, Kathy Plotzke (SEHSC), Tracy Guerrero (SEHSC), Wendy Koch (SEHSC)
Members Not Present: Christine Rioux
Welcome and Introductions
Program Updates
- CE Conference is at UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, 11/19/15
- Resource Conservation Day 1 is January 13th & Day 2 is January 27th
- Successful demo sites were held at Franklin Paint and Analog Devices.
- Video from the 25th anniversary is now available.
- TURA Amnesty Program until June 30, 2016
- Regulatory Listening Sessions are currently in progress. Two regulations in stasis until end of March are TDI as a HHS and the TURA Fee Increase Proposal.
- HF/nPB/DMF/Cyanide Compounds are subject to lower reporting threshold as HHS starting in 2016.
- Current members of the Administrative Council are:
- Dan Sieger - EEA
- Nancy Seideman -DEP
- Jen Hoyt – Dept. of Fire Services
- Mike Flanagan – DLS
- Tim Wilkerson – HED
- Marc Nascarella - DPH
- TSCA – EPA Work Plan Chemicals comment periods end soon for the following: TBBPA, Brominated Phthalates, and 1,4-Dioxane.
- Artificial turf: TURI has been working on an alternatives assessment with an interested community member. CA is doing work and starting a monitoring program in the near future.
- TURI is working on a methylene chloride paint stripping project in collaboration with Savogran using the Hanson Solubility Parameter software.
- Tiffany Skogstrom will head up Policy/Outreach at OTA.
Approve September Meeting Minutes
Title amended from “Agenda” to “Minutes”.
Motion was made to approve September meeting minutes as amended.
Vote: 5 in favor, 2 abstentions.
New information for D5
Heather reviewed the Board’s work on volatile methyl siloxanes to date. D4 and D5 were considered separately, as were the linear siloxanes. D5 was ‘tabled’ in 2011 pending additional information. D5 was reviewed again in 2013 and the SAB voted to take no action while also noting continued concerns about the substance. GreenEarth contacted TURI this summer and has concerns with the orange coding color used in the dry cleaning alternatives assessment. At that time TURI committed to collecting new information (since 2011) on D5 and putting D5 on the SAB fall agenda. GreenEarth also cited concerns about the lack of available information for Solvon K4.
Mary conducted a literature review and collected new information on D5 since the SAB last reviewed it in 2011. Board members reviewed the summaries of their previous deliberations and new studies and articles. The Silicones Environmental Health and Safety Council (SEHSC) was contacted for new information as well and provided several recent review and analysis articles.
The key study for the SAB’s carcinogenicity concerns is the 2005 Dow Corning study showing increased uterine carcinomas. The board discussed several aspects, including:
- the recovery time for estrogen-progesterone balance and the dopamine profile over time, and concern about the many processes dopamine controls
- aging of the rats hormonal systems even after exposure removed
- possibility of non-specific membrane effects
- whether it crosses blood brain barrier (SEHSC confirmed that a small amount does)
Kathy Plotzke (SEHSC) commented on this study: Substrain F344 rats have a much higher background incidence of uterine adenocarcinomas. Additional statistical analysis has been done and they are unsure that the slight increase in incidence is dose related to D5. There is a slight shift in cycle of aged animals and no estrogenic or progesterone activity. They are unsure what is causing shift in cycle; it may be dopamine agonism or a non-specific effect on membranes such as seen with alcohol.
ECHA 2013 classified D5 as vPvB. The UK is also developing an opinion proposing that D4 and D5 be restricted in wash-off personal care products in the EU (≤ 0.1% of D4 or D5).
Kathy Plotzke (SEHSC) commented on this: the ECHA process for PBT determination is a different regulatory regime – they can’t use other data to override the BCF. The criteria are rigid.
It was noted that D5 is acting on receptors – even if it is not binding.
Kathy Plotzke (SEHSC) noted that external 3rd party experts [Klaunig/Dekant/Scialli] looked at full toxicological studies and found that the substance cleared in less than 24 hours.
Status on USEPA Chemical Action Plan on D4 and D5
SEHSC noted that although the US EPA reviewed D4 & D5, ultimately they only wanted additional information regarding D4 environmental exposure.
Additional information requested by the board for next meeting:
Add Danish Ministry of Environment Report to Lib Guide
2008-2009 pharmacokinetic studies (Anderson et al)
Search for EPI studies
Look for GreenScreen
Board would like to see WoE papers (SEHSC will provide Solomon and Bridges)
WEEL committee for occupational exposure draft opinion
Look into whole dopamine profile and cyclic effects; what are impacts of human exposure, are we likely to see shift/alteration in cyclicity? Are there studies on kinetics re: clearance including modeled and experimental data?
Environ Risk Assessment
Confirm worker exposure limits from manufacturer’s SDS
Update of More Hazardous chemical information
There are over 90 substances on the More Hazardous substances list. Over 30 were added in 1999 and over 50 more were added in early 2000’s. This list also includes the Higher Hazard Substances as that is where they originated. The goal was to collect current information on the substances. Mary collected this information and highlighted some of the changes from the earlier data which largely included changes in IARC status (mostly increased concern), TEDX data now available, asthmagen data now available, and repro/developmental toxicity data available via the CA Prop 65 list.
Next Meeting
January 20th, 2016 12:30 PM Location TBA