EPA Requires Toxicity Testing Of 19 Chemicals

Manufacturers, importers, and processors of 19 widely used chemicals must conduct basic toxicity tests on these substances, according to a rule that EPA announced last week. These compounds are produced or imported into the U.S. in quantities of 1 million lb or more per year, placing them in a category the agency calls high-production-volume (HPV) chemicals. Among the substances affected by the rule are diphenylmethanone, used in personal care products; a fingerprinting agent called leuco sulfur black 1; and acetaldehyde, an intermediate in the synthesis of other compounds. The 19 substances are among those covered in an initiative launched in 1998 to generate and make available to the public toxicity information for HPV substances. Although chemical companies are supplying data for more than 2,200 HPV chemicals, none volunteered to test the 19 compounds in the rule. “Having this information is essential to improve chemical safety and protect the health of the American people and the environment,” says Steve Owens, head of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention. This is the second rule the agency has issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act to obtain data on HPV chemicals.