Isocyanates and human health: multistakeholder information needs and research priorities.

On April 3–4th, 2013 an international multidisciplinary conference entitled Isocyanates and Health: Past, Present and Future was held in Potomac, Maryland. Following the conference, representatives of consumer and worker health research and regulatory agencies, academic and industry scientists, labor, and trade associations met to discuss opportunities to advance communication, collaboration, and research funding to better address information gaps and research priorities amongst stakeholders. The purposes of the conference and follow-up meeting were to (i) identify most current knowledge about isocyanates and discuss the important issues concerning potential exposures and worker and consumer health effects of isocyanates, including exposure monitoring, environmental controls, surveillance, and clinical management, and (ii) identify and discuss research gaps to inform future research priorities and information dissemination. This summary reports on the knowledge gaps and research priorities identified across stakeholders, and discusses the potential for greater collaboration across government, academic, industry and worker organizations to improve worker and consumer health.