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. 2005 Jul;113(7):809-12.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.7716.

Vinyl chloride: a case study of data suppression and misrepresentation

Jennifer Beth Sass  1 , Barry Castleman, David Wallinga
Affiliations

Vinyl chloride: a case study of data suppression and misrepresentation

Jennifer Beth Sass et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Jul.

Abstract

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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Comment in

  • Vinyl chloride and U.S. EPA research.
    Price CM. Price CM. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Oct;113(10):A653-4; author reply A654-5. doi: 10.1289/ehp.113-a653. Environ Health Perspect. 2005. PMID: 16203222 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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