Document Jdd5kabbGZGYdKBw14vL6kYe

Hay 20, 1985 TO: --wvr. "-W-AGNETT* ) IN TURN -HA-R-QUAROT ) FROM: C. G. PFEIFER ) LAST UPDATE ON BLCIOD LEAD-BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUE The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Subcommittee (CASAC) of EPA' s Science Advisory Board, met last week to review the second draft of the Air Quality Criteria for Lead following public review. A Corrigenda based on "new" findings on relationship between blood lead and blood pressure was discussed. The new findings purport to demonstrate that higher blood lead levels cause higher blood pressures, which lead to increased risk to myocardial infarctions, stroke, etc. The significance is that now adult health effects are associated with low levels of environmental lead exposure (previously, the emphasis had been on children). 3. M. Pierrard, ESD, attended the meeting. Attached is the agenda and some handouts from the meeting, along with Du Pont's comments. In my absence, Pierrard did not present public comments (although scheduled on the agenda) but entered our written comments based on my analyses of the blood pressure-blood lead relationship into the record. Our results suggest there is no evidence of a relationship when properly accounting for sampling site differences in the survey. Dr. Schwartz, EPA, (author of one of the two key papers upon which the Corrigenda was based) spoke before the public comment session and used part of his time to rebut our, submission - even before it was scheduled to be discussed! (Last year both he and a member from Centers for Disease Control each used twice their allotted public comment time to rebut Du Pont's comments - but at least after I presented our public comments.) In spite of EPA's tactics, Dr. Richard Royall, a statistical consultant to CASAC, raised the red flag suggesting Du Pont's submission makes some important points which need further consideration. The Corrigenda was not accepted by CASAC who recommended it be included as an addendum in the Air Quality Criteria, following public comment and subsequent review by CASAC. CGP:lsw Atch 3.12 t e h 035q l3s N36701