Mills A, Foureman G L
US EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC 20460, USA.
Toxicology. 1998 May 15;127(1-3):85-95. doi: 10.1016/s0300-483x(98)00038-9.
The US EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) contains Agency consensus scientific positions and quantitative values on cancer and noncancer health effects that may result from lifetime oral or inhalation exposure to specific chemical substances in the environment. Combined with specific exposure assessment information, the summary health information in IRIS may be used as a source in evaluating potential public health risks from environmental contaminants. IRIS is available to the public via EPA's Internet server at http://www.epa.gov/iris. Originally developed for internal EPA use, IRIS usage has broadened since being made publicly available in 1988 to include the private and public sectors nationally and internationally. Up to 1995, IRIS summaries were generated from within various EPA Offices and Regions and reviewed by Agency Workgroups, one for cancer and one for noncancer endpoints, before entry onto IRIS. In response to the increasing usage and recognition of IRIS and suggestions for improvement, an IRIS Pilot program was initiated in 1995. The purpose of the Pilot was 3-fold: To improve efficiency in getting information on to IRIS; to improve documentation for the positions reported in IRIS summaries, including applying new methodologies and guidance; and to improve opportunity for public input including external peer review. A new infrastructure was put in place, consisting of a cross-Agency team of 'Chemical Managers', a Pilot Program Manager, and a set of Agency 'Consensus Reviewers'. Cancer and noncancer assessments were prepared in an integrated fashion for Pilot chemical substances, documented in 'Toxicological Reviews' and derivative IRIS summaries. Public input was emphasized via an initial data call and rigorous external peer review. A final step was Agency-wide consensus review by senior staff scientists representing EPA's Offices and Regions. EPA's experience with the Pilot is forming the basis for designing operational aspects of the long-term IRIS program.
美国环境保护局（EPA）的综合风险信息系统（IRIS）包含了该机构关于癌症和非癌症健康影响的共识科学立场及量化数值，这些影响可能源于终生经口或经吸入接触环境中的特定化学物质。结合特定的暴露评估信息，IRIS中的健康信息摘要可作为评估环境污染物潜在公共健康风险的一个来源。公众可通过EPA的互联网服务器（http://www.epa.gov/iris）获取IRIS。IRIS最初是为EPA内部使用而开发的，自1988年公开提供以来，其用途已扩大到包括国内和国际的私营和公共部门。到1995年为止，IRIS摘要由EPA各办公室和地区内部生成，并在录入IRIS之前由该机构的工作组进行审查，一个工作组负责癌症相关内容，另一个负责非癌症终点相关内容。为应对IRIS使用量的增加、认可度的提高以及改进建议，1995年启动了一个IRIS试点项目。该试点项目有三个目的：提高将信息录入IRIS的效率；改进IRIS摘要中所报告立场的文件记录，包括应用新方法和指南；增加公众参与机会，包括外部同行评审。建立了一个新的架构，由一个跨机构的“化学品管理人员”团队、一名试点项目经理和一组机构“共识评审员”组成。针对试点化学物质以综合方式编写癌症和非癌症评估报告，并记录在“毒理学综述”及衍生的IRIS摘要中。通过初步数据征集和严格的外部同行评审来强调公众参与。最后一步是由代表EPA各办公室和地区的高级 staff scientists进行全机构范围的共识评审。EPA在试点项目中的经验正在为长期IRIS项目的运作方面设计奠定基础。 （注：原文中“senior staff scientists”表述有误，推测应为“senior staff scientists”，译为“高级工作人员科学家” ）
