low dose ED's; NIEHS Raleigh NC w'shop

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

[Federal Register: April 3, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 64)]
[Notices]
[Page 16567]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ap98-94]

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HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of
Workshop on ``Characterizing the Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on
Human Health At Environmental Exposure Levels''

    The workshop will be held in the Brownestone Hotel, Raleigh, North
Carolina on May 11-13, 1998, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm on May 11th, from
8:30 am to 5:30 pm on May 12th, and from 8:300 am to 12:30 pm on May
13th.

Background and Workshop Goals

    Evaluating potential low dose risks of endocrine disruptors is a
major challenge for the risk assessment community. Most important is
how to incorporate mechanistic information that will lead to
biologically based and scientifically credible low-dose extrapolations.
This workshop was organized to provide a forum for discussion of
methods and data needs to improve risk assessments of endocrine
disruptors, with special emphasis on characterizing potential health
effects at low doses (environmental levels). The Workshop will focus on
how to make better use of current knowledge on endocrine signaling
pathways to understand and quantify perturbations induced by endocrine
disrupting agents that lead to adverse health effects (reproductive and
developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, or cancer) and
to specifically address exposures and perturbations at critical stages
of development. Research needs will be identified within the framework
of a risk assessment approach and a final workshop report to be
published in the open scientific literature will include
recommendations and guidance on how to incorporate mechanistic
information into low-dose extrapolations.

Workshop Topics

    To address the workshop objectives, six breakout group topics have
been identified:
    <bullet> Homeostasis and endocrine function in adults
    <bullet> Endocrine function during development
    <bullet> Species variability, interindividual variability, and
tissue specificity
    <bullet> Dose-response models that link xenobiotic-induced
perturbations in endocrine signaling pathways with tissue response in
adults and during development
    <bullet> Case study: estimating risk from exposure to DES
    <bullet> Case study: estimating risk from environmental exposure to
PCBs
    Invited participants will lead the discussions in each breakout
group. Outside observers from the public sector are welcome with
attendance limited by space available.

Workshop Co-Sponsors

NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
FDA/National Center for Toxicological Research
US Environmental Protection Agency
Chemical Manufacturers Association

    For further information including observer registration contact
Alma Britton (919-541-0530; fax: 919-541-0295).

    Dated: March 24, 1998.
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
[FR Doc. 98-8824 Filed 4-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M



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