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Methyl Bromide Risk Characterization in California (2000)

Chapter: Appendix A: Biographical Information on the Subcommittee for the Review of the Risk Assessment of Methyl Bromide

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Biographical Information on the Subcommittee for the Review of the Risk Assessment of Methyl Bromide." National Research Council. 2000. Methyl Bromide Risk Characterization in California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9849.
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Page 84
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Biographical Information on the Subcommittee for the Review of the Risk Assessment of Methyl Bromide." National Research Council. 2000. Methyl Bromide Risk Characterization in California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9849.
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Page 85
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Biographical Information on the Subcommittee for the Review of the Risk Assessment of Methyl Bromide." National Research Council. 2000. Methyl Bromide Risk Characterization in California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9849.
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Page 86

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Appendix A Biographical Information on the Subcommittee for the Review of the Risk Assessment of Methyl Bromide CHARLES H. HOBBS (Chair) is director of the Toxicology Division at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. He received his D.V.M. from Colo- rado State University. His research focuses on the Tong-te~ biological ef- fects of inhaled materials and the mechanisms by which they act. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and certified in general toxi- cology. Dr. Hobbs serves as a member of the Committee on Toxicology and previously served on the Committee on Toxicological and Performance As- pects of Oxygenated fuels. JANICE E. CHAMBERS is professor and director of the Center for Envi- ronmental Health Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Missis- sippi State University. She received her Ph.D. in animal physiology from Mississippi State University. Her research focuses on neurotoxicology of in- secticides including neurochemical and behavior studies and insecticide me- tabolism. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. Dr. Chambers previously served as a member of the NRC's Pane] on Life Sci- ences for postdoctoral fellowships. FRANK N. DOST is professor emeritus from the Nepal lment of Agricultural Chemistry at Oregon State University and affiliate professor in the Depart- ment of Environmental Health at the University of Washington. He received 84

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 85 his D.V.M. from Washington State University. Dr. Dost's research interests include the estimation of environmental and occupational chemical exposure and risk assessment and the metabolic fate of toxicants. Previously, Dr. Dost served on the NBC committee on toxicology of hydrazines. DALE B. HATTIS is research professor in the Center for Technology, Envi- ronment, and Development at Clark University. He received his Ph.D. in ge- netics from Stanford University. His research focuses on the development and application of methodologies to assess the health impacts of regulatory options with an emphasis on incorporating interindividual variability data into risk assessments for both cancer and non-cancer endpoints. Previously, Dr. Hattis was a member ofthe NAS/IOM Committee on Evaluation ofthe Safety of Fishery Products and the NRC Committee on Neurotoxicology and Risk Assessment. MATTHEW C. KETFER is co-director of the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center and director of the occupational medicine program at the University of Washington. He received his M.D. from the University of TIlinois and his M.P.H. from the University of Washington. Dr. Keifer's re- search interests focus on the health of agricultural workers with specific focus on the health effects of occupational pesticide exposure. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. UERIKE LUDERER is assistant professor with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of California at Irvine. She re- ceived her M.D. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University and her M.P.H. from the University of Washington. Dr. Luderer's research focuses on repro- ductive effects and neuroendocrine alterations as a result of exposure to envi- ronmental toxicants, particularly volatile organics. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. GLENN C. MILLER is director of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of California at Davis. Dr. Miller's research focuses on the fate and transport of airborne pesticides fol- Towing major uses and the effects of deposited residues on soils including their photodegradation. SYLVIA S. TALMAGE is a toxicologist in the Life Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She received her Ph.D. in ecology/environ-

86 METHYL BROMIDE RISK CHARACTERIZA TIONIN CALIFORNIA mental toxicology Mom the University of Tennessee. Dr. Talmage's research focuses on the sources, fate, and toxicity of chemical warfare agents. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and certified in general toxi- cology.

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Methyl bromide is gaseous pesticide used to fumigate soil, crops, commodity warehouses, and commodity-shipping facilities. Up to 17 million pounds of methyl bromide are used annually in California to treat grapes, almonds, strawberries, and other crops. Methyl bromide is also a known stratospheric ozone depleter and, as such, is scheduled to be phased out of use in the United States by 2005 under the United Nations Montreal Protocol. In California, the use of methyl bromide is regulated by the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), which is responsible for establishing the permit conditions that govern the application of methyl bromide for pest control. The actual permits for use are issued on a site-specific basis by the local county agricultural commissioners. Because of concern for potential adverse health effects, in 1999 DPR developed a draft risk characterization document for inhalation exposure to methyl bromide. The DPR document is intended to support new regulations regarding the agricultural use of this pesticide. The proposed regulations encompass changes to protect children in nearby schools, establish minimum buffer zones around application sites, require notification of nearby residents, and set new limits on hours that fumigation employees may work. The State of California requires that DPR arrange for an external peer review of the scientific basis for all regulations. To this end, the National Research Council (NRC) was asked to review independently the draft risk characterization document prepared by DPR for inhalation exposure to methyl bromide.

The task given to NRC's subcommittee on methyl bromide states the following: The subcommittee will perform an independent scientific review of the California Environmental Protection Agency's risk assessment document on methyl bromide. The subcommittee will (1) determine whether all relevant data were considered, (2) determine the appropriateness of the critical studies, (3) consider the mode of action of methyl bromide and its implications in risk assessment, and (4) determine the appropriateness of the exposure assessment and mathematical models used. The subcommittee will also identify data gaps and make recommendations for further research relevant to setting exposure limits for methyl bromide.

This report evaluates the toxicological and exposure data on methyl bromide that characterize risks at current exposure levels for field workers and nearby residents. The remainder of this report contains the subcommittee's analysis of DPR's risk characterization for methyl bromide. In Chapter 2, the critical toxicological studies and endpoints identified in the DPR document are evaluated. Chapter 3 summarizes DPR's exposure assessment, and the data quality and modeling techniques employed in its assessment are critiqued. Chapter 4 provides a review of DPR's risk assessment, including the adequacy of the toxicological database DPR used for hazard identification, an analysis of the margin-of-exposure data, and appropriateness of uncertainty factors used by DPR. Chapter 5 contains the subcommittee's conclusions about DPR's risk characterization, highlights data gaps, and makes recommendations for future research.

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