Summary of Scientific Meeting Held June, 2000 on Approaches to Assessing Health Impacts of Gasoline-Related Exposures in California

Aug 9, 2001

California’s experience with MTBE has highlighted the need to evaluate human and environmental health risks from exposure to fuel components currently in use and proposed for future use. As part of this effort, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) has begun research in the area of health risk assessment of gasoline-related exposures (exhaust, evaporative emissions, and atmospheric transformation products) in California. In 1999, OEHHA prepared a report comparing the potential health risks associated with gasoline containing ethanol versus other gasoline formulations. OEHHA’s work was part of a larger assessment of ethanol ordered by Governor Gray Davis and involving the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). OEHHA is currently conducting a follow up assessment of potential cancer risks and chronic respiratory effects from exposures to the gasoline formulation now in use in California (i.e., California Phase 2 Reformulated Gasoline). OEHHA is also carrying out a cross-sectional study of the respiratory health of children attending schools located near busy motorways.

The field of gasoline health effects and assessment is rapidly changing, with significant new studies currently underway. To bring together experts in the field and obtain state-of-the-art information, OEHHA planned a scientific meeting that was held June 26-27 2000 at the Elihu Harris State Office Building in Oakland, California. Sara Hoover of OEHHA was the meeting organizer, with assistance from Elinor Fanning. Other OEHHA staff who participated in the meeting planning included Martha Sandy, Lauren Zeise, and George Alexeeff. OEHHA contracted with U.C. Berkeley to provide logistical support for the meeting.