Human exposure assessment and the National Toxicology Program

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is launching an interagency initiative for exposure assessment.
• This initiative involves multiple federal agencies, including NIEHS, CDC, NIOSH, and EPA.
• Advances in analytical technology and molecular biology make this initiative feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To strengthen the scientific foundation for risk assessments by developing credible exposure/response relationships.
• To prioritize chemicals for toxicological testing based on real-world exposure data.
• To inform public health policies and evaluate their efficacy in reducing chemical exposure.

Main Methods:

• Developing biologically based dose-response models.
• Identifying sensitive subpopulations and estimating risks using "margin of exposure" approaches.
• Analyzing chemical mixtures present in human bodies and comparing exposures across different populations, including children.

Main Results:

• Improved cross-species extrapolation for risk assessment.
• Data to guide the selection of chemicals for limited toxicological testing resources.
• Information on chemical exposures in children and other sensitive groups.

Conclusions:

• The initiative will enhance understanding of gene/environment interactions and epidemiology studies.
• It will provide essential data for evaluating public health policies and environmental justice efforts.
• Interagency collaboration is key to addressing public health needs in environmental exposure assessment.