NTP Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Chloroprene (CAS No. 126-99-8) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies).
Chloroprene is used almost exclusively in the manufacture of neoprene (polychloroprene). Chloroprene was chosen for study because it is a high-volume production chemical with limited information on its carcinogenic potential and because it is the 2-chloro analogue of 1,3-butadiene, a potent, multi-species, multi-organ carcinogen. Male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice were exposed to chloroprene (greater than 96% pure) by inhalation for 16 days, 13 weeks, or 2 years. Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in Salmonella typhimurium, Drosophila melanogaster, and B6C3F1 mice (bone marrow cells and peripheral blood erythrocytes).