EPA Proposes Revised Risk Determination for Pigment Violet 29
A new draft document published by EPA on March 7 proposes to revise the “no unreasonable risk” determinations specific to certain conditions of use for pigment violet 29 (PV29) as previously outlined in the agency’s 2021 risk evaluation of the chemical substance. EPA’s draft document suggests a revised determination of “unreasonable risk” for PV29 as a whole chemical substance. The proposed changes are consistent with policy changes announced by EPA last year related to the first 10 chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under amended Toxic Substances Control Act legislation. At that time, EPA described its new “whole chemical approach” as “ the determination of unreasonable risk just once for whole chemical when it is clear the majority of the conditions of use warrant one determination.”
Through its draft revised risk determination, EPA proposes to find that PV29 “presents unreasonable risk to human health.” The new draft document also differs from previous risk evaluations of PV29 in that it does not assume that all workers exposed to the chemical substance are protected by personal protective equipment. According to EPA, earlier final risk evaluations “generally assumed that workers were always provided, and used, personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately,” an assumption that the agency explains “could result in risk evaluations that underestimate the risk.”
EPA is accepting public comment on its draft revised risk determination for PV29 until April 21. Further information about this opportunity for public participation is available in the Federal Register.
According to EPA, PV29 is used as an intermediate to create or adjust color of other perylene pigments. Additional applications include incorporation into paints and coatings used in the automobile industry, and incorporation into plastic and rubber products used in automobiles and industrial carpeting. PV29 is also used in merchant ink for commercial printing and in consumer watercolors and artistic color. More information on PV29 is available from EPA’s website.