Peer Review for Evaluating Risk from High Priority Phthalates
EPA is planning a virtual public meeting on Aug. 4-8, 2025, for the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) to discuss the draft risk evaluations for dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di(2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) as well as the non-cancer human health and environmental hazard draft technical support documents (TSDs) for butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and three cross-phthalate technical support documents that are currently undergoing risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA will also hold a preparatory virtual public meeting on July 21, 2025, for the SACC and the public to consider and ask questions regarding the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions. EPA will publish registration links for the August SACC meeting and July preparatory meeting on this page approximately one month prior to each meeting. EPA published a Federal Register notice announcing the dates on June 10, 2025.
To present oral comments during the preparatory meeting, registration should be completed by July 14, 2025, and a written version of oral comments should be submitted by July 18, 2025. For attendees not making oral comments, registration will remain open through the end of this meeting on July 21, 2025. To present oral comments during the peer review meeting, registration should be completed by July 28, 2025, and a written version of oral comments should be submitted by Aug. 1, 2025. For attendees not making oral comments, registration will remain open through the end of this meeting on Aug. 8, 2025.
Because the SACC is reviewing several TSDs that will support the risk evaluations for BBP and DIBP, EPA will consider the SACC recommendations from this upcoming peer review when developing the risk evaluations and unreasonable risk determinations for these two chemicals. Therefore, EPA does not expect the need for an additional peer review of the forthcoming risk evaluations for BBP and DIBP.
On Dec. 3, 2024, EPA published a Federal Register notice requesting nominations of prospective ad hoc expert reviewers to assist the SACC with its peer review. The nomination period ended on Jan. 2, 2025. After reviewing the nominations, EPA called for public comments on the interested and available candidates under consideration as prospective ad hoc reviewers. The comment period ended on May 15, 2025. EPA posted the list of final ad hoc reviewers to docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0551 on regulations.gov in June 2025.
For additional information, contact the Designated Federal Official, Dr. Alaa Kamel, kamel.alaa@epa.gov.