September 14, 2016
Toxics Use Reduction Institute Science Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
September 14, 2016
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection – 2nd Floor, 1 Winter Street, Boston
1PM (note: pre-meeting new member orientation 12:30-1)
Members present: David Williams (Chair), Larry Boise (Vice-Chair), Kenneth Weinberg, Christy Foran, Hilary Hackbart, Amy Cannon, Robin Dodson, Denise Kmetzo
Members not present: Chris Rioux
Program staff present: Liz Harriman (TURI), Heather Tenney (TURI), Mary Butow (TURI), John Raschko (OTA), Tsedash Zewdie (DEP)
Others present: Trish McCarthy (Coyne Legislative Services for ACC), Margaret Gorman (ACC)
Welcome & Introductions
Program Updates
- The Program hosted a Green Screen Advanced Topics Training this summer. Board member Amy Cannon participated, as well as several of the Program staff that regularly attend SAB meetings.
- A number of TUR grants were awarded. The types of projects were quickly described; grants with descriptions will be posted on TURI’s website soon.
- Heather noted that documents/resources that the Board has sent to her on nanotechnology, etc since the last meeting have been posted to the Lib Guide. The board requested another presentation on Nanotechnology; this will hopefully be arranged for the next meeting.
- Heather is updating the perchloroethylene in dry cleaning alternatives assessment document. She is working on including the information from the Board’s review of D5 siloxane and dibutoxymethane (Solvon K4) in a succinct way that will be helpful to a broad audience.
- The Board had been asked to review the SAB principles in Appendix C of the Decision-Making under TURA: Resources for the TURA Administrative Council and Advisory Bodies document and think about whether there were changes they would like to make. If so, it will be put on a future meeting’s agenda.
- One member noted that it could be helpful to have guidance on ‘Conflict of Interest’ issues in the voting section.
- The statement “without taking policy considerations into account” was questioned and the relative roles of the SAB and the Advisory Committee were discussed. It was noted that individuals on each body often have expertise and interest in both policy and science, but that they are asked to focus on the area that their respective board is responsible for when making recommendations.
- There was a question as to whether these guidelines cover all of the different categories of concern, e.g. extremely persistent, and bioaccumulative (vPvB), i.e. future generations would have to metabolize it, versus only looking at PB and T. This had also been raised during the discussions on D4, which is vPvB.
- The question was raised as to whether, instead of adding other effects/endpoints, the statement “equivalent concern" should be included to cover other deep concerns not listed. I.e., should the list be more comprehensive to provide guidance, or more general, allowing for effects of equivalent concern depending on the substance and information about its particular effects?
- Similarly, another member noted concern with duration of harm and generational impacts – this is embedded in these effects, but not explicit. E.g., are they reversible or irreversible? Would being more explicit about these concerns help TUR Planners as they balance difference criteria, and try not to shift risks when substituting chemicals? Given the feedback, discussion of the SAB’s guidelines in the decision making resource guide will be put on the next meeting’s agenda.
Approve June Meeting Minutes
The Board noted to remove the statement, “Note this is not hazardous waste.” from the last paragraph in the section on Mutagenicity/Analogs for Solvon K4.
Vote: 6 in favor, 2 abstaining.
Authoritative List Presentation: IARC
Heather presented about the IARC process. She reviewed the history of the organization and described their general procedures according to their preamble. The presentation covered the process IARC uses for selection of chemicals to review, what they look for in data to be reviewed, how review participants are selected, the structure used for their scientific review, and the definitions for their classifications. It was noted that it might be helpful to look at the NTP process similarly.
Introduction: PFOA/PFOS
The Program is asking the Board to look at the hazards of these substances for possible listing. PFOA and PFOS have been recently discovered in drinking water supplies across the country. MassDEP currently uses the EPA drinking water health advisory value (70 ppt). The DEP liaison noted that New Jersey is considering a value of 14 ppt. Other states in the New England region have been using 20 ppt as their advisory value. A Board member wanted to know where these values fall in the drinking water standards.
As previously noted, the Board will also consider the shorter chain perfluorinated alternatives, after reviewing the C6 and C8 compounds. A Board member requested that we invite an expert to come and talk through the chemistry, particularly to emphasize how many substances could be possible.
It was noted that it has been difficult finding alternatives for perfluorinated surfactants in Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF’s) for firefighting.
Mary reviewed/highlighted information in several resources:
- MA DPH Fact Sheet on PFOS and PFOA in Drinking Water: There is uncertainty remaining with regard to the difference in how animals/humans respond to PFAs. “They are associated with changes in thyroid, liver, and kidney function, as well changes in hormone levels. These two chemicals have also been shown to cause developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy and in breastfed infants”.
- US EPA Fact Sheet on the PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories: “EPA’s health advisories are based on the best available peer-reviewed studies of the effects of PFOA and PFOS on laboratory animals (rats and mice) and were also informed by epidemiological studies of human populations that have been exposed to PFASs. These studies indicate that exposure to PFOA and PFOS over certain levels may result in adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants (e.g., low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g., testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g., tissue damage), immune effects (e.g., antibody production and immunity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g., cholesterol changes).”
- Draft EHS Summary for PFOA: Endpoints highlighted include: carcinogenicity, reproductive effects, endocrine disruption, and persistence. PFOA is not metabolized and there is evidence of enterohepatic circulation of the compound. It was noted to update the Drinking Water Standard section with the new EPA value. This summary is in the development stages and will be more complete for the next meeting.
- Draft EHS Summary for PFOS: Endpoints highlighted include: acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive effects, endocrine disruption, and persistence. PFOS can also be formed as a metabolite of other perfluorinated sulfonates. It was noted to update the Drinking Water Standard section with the new EPA value. This summary is in the development stages and will be more complete for the next meeting.
- NEWMOA presentation on ‘PFAS Toxicology: A focus on metabolics’: Key endpoints covered were liver effects including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); metabolic outcomes including obesity and diabetes; and reproductive effects/effects on hormones.Distribution of PFAS in tissues was also noted.
The Board asked if there had been GreenScreens performed for these chemicals. The program will check into this. The Board requested articles referenced in the NEWMOA slides be added to the LibGuide for the next meeting. They would also like to see the New Jersey document that includes data not in the EPA documentation.
Next Meeting
November 30th
Scheduled to include a nanotechnology presentation from Jo Anne Shatkin.
Handouts:
MA Department of Public Health Fact Sheet on PFOS and PFOA in Drinking Water
Draft EHS Summary for PFOA, Revised 9/13/16
Draft EHS Summary for PFOS, Revised 9/13/16
Slides for IARC presentation
US EPA Fact Sheet PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories
PFAS Toxicology presentation slides from NEWMOA event 5/23/16