Open AccessVinyl Chloride: A Case Study of Data Suppression and Misrepresentation
Author(s) -
Jennifer Sass,
Barry Castleman,
David Wallinga
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
environmental health perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 282
eISSN - 1552-9924
pISSN - 0091-6765
DOI - 10.1289/ehp.7716
Subject(s) - misrepresentation , vinyl chloride , agency (philosophy) , toxicology , risk assessment , potency , international agency , environmental health , chemical industry , business , actuarial science , medicine , environmental science , computer science , chemistry , carcinogen , political science , law , biology , computer security , sociology , environmental engineering , social science , copolymer , biochemistry , organic chemistry , in vitro , polymer
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its 2000 update of the toxicological effects of vinyl chloride (VC), it was concerned with two issues: the classification of VC as a carcinogen and the numerical estimate of its potency. In this commentary we describe how the U.S. EPA review of VC toxicology, which was drafted with substantial input from the chemical industry, weakened safeguards on both points. First, the assessment down-plays risks from all cancer sites other than the liver. Second, the estimate of cancer potency was reduced 10-fold from values previously used for environmental decision making, a finding that reduces the cost and extent of pollution reduction and cleanup measures. We suggest that this assessment reflects discredited scientific practices and recommend that the U.S. EPA reverse its trend toward ever-increasing collaborations with the regulated industries when generating scientific reviews and risk assessments.
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