The Committee will conduct a review of existing information and analyses related to electric arc furnace (EAF) slag and assess human health risks associated with the unencapsulated use of EAF slag. As part of its assessment and to the extent sufficient data are available, the committee will address the following aspects with respect to potential human health effects associated with unencapsulated use of EAF slag:

• Chemical, physical, and geotechnical properties of EAF slag (including, but not limited to chemical concentrations, particle size distribution, soundness, compressive strength, and abrasion resistance), including how those properties might change over time and vary across the types of EAF slag produced at different steel production facilities in the United States.
• Relative quantities and general locations for the different beneficial uses of EAF slag, including uses in the proximity of residential areas.
• Effects of weathering and wear (e.g., from vehicular traffic) of EAF slag used for unencapsulated applications on the duration and magnitude of human exposure to toxic constituents. Also, consider the possible effects of the formation of smaller particle sizes with respect to exposure.areas.
• Pathways, routes, and scenarios expected to be most important in evaluating exposure to toxic constituents of EAF slag. Are toxic constituents of EAF slag likely to be bioavailable from unencapsulated uses?
• Exposure levels for substances found in EAF slag that are associated with adverse effects observed in epidemiological studies, and how those levels compare with potential exposures through the unencapsulated use of EAF slag, including residential uses, such as landscaping.
• Population subgroup characteristics and human developmental stages expected to be associated with the highest sensitivity to exposure to EAF slag constituents.
• Relevant existing cancer and/or non-cancer toxicity values for inhalation and oral exposures to manganese, hexavalent chromium, and other constituents that might drive risks associated with the unencapsulated use of EAF slag.
• Uncertainties associated with existing toxicity benchmarks. Consider advances in the scientific understanding of hexavalent chromium and manganese toxicology since the establishment of existing toxicity benchmarks. Are sensitive populations and background exposure to essential nutrients such as manganese adequately accounted for in existing toxicity benchmarks?
• Relationships between EAF slag uses and human health risk, including consideration of factors, such as land use settings, human behavior, geographic areas, and local climate that may lead to the highest risks.
• Whether cumulative exposures to stressors associated with lower-socioeconomic living conditions are likely to exacerbate health risks of EAF slag constituents, including the risk of negative cognitive effects.
• To the extent possible, provide a concise characterization of the risks to human health associatedwith EAF slag use.
• Considering the overall understanding of human health risk associated with the unencapsulated use of EAF slag, identify research needed to address information gaps regarding the toxicity of EAF slag constituents and human exposures to the most toxic constituents.