Isoprene — Health Effects & Exposure

Isoprene

Potential EDCCarcinogen

Isoprene is a flammable industrial chemical used mainly to make synthetic rubber. It’s also released by trees, vehicle exhaust, and tobacco smoke, and can harm health with high or long-term exposure [1]. Long-term exposure caused cancer in animals; it is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” (NTP) and “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (IARC) [2][3].

Where It Comes From

Synthetic rubber production; petroleum refining; vehicle exhaust; tobacco smoke; natural emissions from plants [1].

How You Are Exposed

Breathing outdoor air near traffic or industrial sites; cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke; workplaces making rubber or petrochemicals [1].

Why It Matters

Short-term exposure can irritate eyes and airways and cause dizziness or headache; long-term exposure caused tumors in animals and may affect the nervous system and liver [1][2][3].

Who Is at Risk

Workers in synthetic rubber/petrochemical plants; smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke; people living near refineries or heavy traffic; those with asthma or lung disease [1].

How to Lower Your Exposure

Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke; check local air quality and limit strenuous outdoor activity on high-ozone days; improve indoor ventilation; at work, use engineering controls and protective equipment [1][4].

References

[1]ATSDR. ToxFAQs for Isoprene. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
[2]NTP. Report on Carcinogens: Isoprene. National Toxicology Program.
[3]IARC. Isoprene—Group 2B. International Agency for Research on Cancer, List of Classifications.
[4]EPA. Isoprene Hazard Summary. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.