The polyurethane industry is continually challenged about the toxicity of the materials which it handles. This paper reviews the effects of exposure to various concentrations of TDI and MDI, as the most commonly used isocyanates, and describes the process of risk assessment for chemical carcinogenesis for the isocyanates and their diamines. The role which the industry has adopted both through CIA and III, and, in particular, how the III is supporting relevant research in a responsible and systematic manner are described.
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