A peer review process of potential modeling approaches that could be used to relate lead concentrations in drinking water to blood lead levels in children has been initialed by EPA. A new Lead Modeling Peer Review webpage gives an overview of EPA’s process and includes links to a Federal Register notice requesting nominees for peer reviewers, draft charge questions and a draft technical document outlining potential modeling approaches.
The modeling work under the peer review could play an important role in the revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) scheduled to be proposed later this year. In particular, the conversion of drinking water lead concentrations to a health endpoint – blood lead levels in children – is a key component to establishing a health-based benchmark for regulatory action. The Nation Drinking Water Advisory Council’s lead working group suggested that such a value was needed to develop a household action level, as suggested in their review submitted to EPA on potential LCR revisions.