EPA Proposes a Test Rule for Chemical "Orphans"

EPA is proposing to issue another TSCA Section 4 test rule that would require manufacturers of 29 "orphan" High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals to conduct testing for environmental fate (including five tests for physical/chemical properties and biodegradation), ecotoxicity (in fish, Daphnia, and algae), acute toxicity, genetic toxicity (gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations), repeated dose toxicity, and developmental and reproductive toxicity.

As I've reported before, EPA has been slowly issuing these test rules for chemicals that no manufacturer sponsored during the decade long voluntary HPV Challenge. This is now the fourth such test rule proposed, but the effectiveness of this process has been called into question as only the first one has been finalized to date. Which means all the manufacturers of chemicals in the second through the fourth proposed rules still have not been required to start testing. This is a real problem. Proposing is one thing, but unless the rules are finalized they are essentially moot.

Remember that these are only the "orphan" chemicals, that is, the HPV chemicals for which no one volunteered to provide data. There are also a few hundred HPV chemicals for which companies did promise to provide data but so far have not, even 5 years after the official end of the voluntary program. Add to that the chemicals that became HPV after the initial Challenge list was created and you can see that the process just isn't enough to evaluate even the highest volume chemicals, never mind the thousands of medium volume and specialty chemicals. Clearly the time is ripe for reform of TSCA.

The chemicals listed in this fourth TSCA Section 4 test rule are:

CAS # Chemical Name

83–41–0 Benzene, 1,2-dimethyl-3-nitro-

96–22–0 3-Pentanone

98–09–9 Benzenesulfonyl chloride

98–56–6 Benzene, 1-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-

111–44–4 Ethane, 1,1'-oxybis[2-chloro-

127–68–4 Benzenesulfonic acid, 3-nitro-, sodium salt

506–51–4 1-Tetracosanol

506–52–5 1-Hexacosanol

515–40–2 Benzene, (2-chloro-1,1-dimethylethyl)

2494–89–5 Ethanol, 2-[(4-aminophenyl)sulfonyl]-, hydrogen sulfate (ester)

5026–74–4 Oxiranemethanamine, N-[4-(oxiranylmethoxy)phenyl]-N-(oxiranylmethyl)

22527–63–5 Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-(benzoyloxy)-2,2,4-trimethylpentyl ester

24615–84–7 2-Propenoic acid, 2-carboxyethyl ester

25321–41–9 Benzenesulfonic acid, dimethyl-

25646–71–3 Methanesulfonamide, N-[2-[(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)ethylamino]ethyl]-, sulfate (2:3)

52556–42–0 1-Propanesulfonic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-(2-propenyloxy)-, monosodium salt

61788–76–9 Alkanes, chloro

65996–79–4 Solvent naphtha, coal

65996–82–9 Tar oils, coal

65996–89–6 Tar, coal, high-temp.

65996–92–1 Distillates, coal tar

68082–78–0 Lard, oil, Me esters

68187–57–5 Pitch, coal tar-petroleum

68442–60–4 Acetaldehyde, reaction products with formaldehyde, by-products from

68610–90–2 2-Butenedioic acid (2E)-, di-C8-18-alkyl esters

68988–22–7 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dimethyl ester, manuf. of, by-products from

70693–50–4 Phenol, 2,4-bis(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)-6-[(2-nitrophenyl)azo]-

72162–15–3 1-Decene, sulfurized

73665–18–6 Extract residues, coal, tar oil alk., naphthalene distn. residues