BENCHMARK DOSE WORKSHOP - CRITERIA FOR USE OF A BENCHMARK DOSE TO ESTIMATE A REFERENCE DOSE

The purpose of the Benchmark Dose Workshop was to assess the feasibili ty and implications of replacing the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) with a benchmark dose (BRID) when deriving reference doses and concentrations (RfDs and RfCs). The workshop participants supported t he use of the BMD method to remove many of the limitations inherent in using the NOAEL approach, Participants endorsed in general the use of a BMD for all quantal noncancer health effects and endorsed in partic ular the BMD for assessing developmental toxicity based on data presen ted at the workshop. The discussions of implementation recognized the need to demonstrate that changing from a NOAEL to a BMD gives the risk manager more certain information on which to base decisions, Most par ticipants agreed that the current NOAEL-derived RfDs and RfCs are suff iciently protective and should only be changed as data become availabl e for estimating a BMD, It was recognized that to achieve general acce ptance of the BMD approach, it will have to be applied to a variety of endpoints. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.