Mechanism Involved in Trichloroethylene-Induced Liver Cancer: Importance to Environmental Cleanup

The objective of this project is to develop critical data for improving risk-based cleanup standards for trichloroethylene (TCE). Importance to DOE. Cleanup costs for chlorinated solvents found on DOE sites are most frequently driven by TCE because it is the most widespread contaminant and is generally present at the highest concentrations. Data that would permit increases in risk-based standards for TCE would reduce complex wide cleanup costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. Current Regulatory Actions that Research will Impact. EPA is currently reviewing its risk assessment for TCE. Richard J. Bull has worked with EPA on this review by writing the mode of action section of their determination. A presentation by James Cogliano of EPA at the 1999 Annual Society of Toxicology Meeting indicates that they have accepted the concept of nonlinear extrapolation for liver tumor induction by TCE. This project will end in FY 1999 with its major technical and policy objectives satisfied