N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone; Evaluation of the carcinogenicity and genotoxicity

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands evaluates and judges the carcinogenic properties of substances to which workers are occupationally exposed. The evaluation is performed by the subcommittee on Classifying Carcinogenic Substances of the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards of the Health Council, hereafter called the committee. In this report, the committee evaluated N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone. N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone is an agent that is used to produce polyvinyl pyrrolidone and copolymers.

The committee concludes that N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone has been insufficiently investigated. While the available data do not warrant a classification as carcinogenic to humans or as should be regarded as carcinogenic to humans, they indicate that there is cause for concern for man. This recommendation corresponds to EU classification in category 3. This situation is, furthermore, comparable with subcategory b of this category.

Committee

• G.J. Mulder, emeritus professor of toxicology, Leiden University, Leiden, chairman
• P.J. Boogaard, toxicologist, SHELL International BV, The Hague
• Ms. M.J.M. Nivard, Molecular biologist and genetic toxicologist, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden
• G.M.H. Swaen, epidemiologist, Dow Chemicals NV, Terneuzen
• R.A. Woutersen, toxicologic pathologist, TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist
• A.A. van Zeeland, professor of molecular radiation dosimetry and radiation mutagenesis, University Medical Center, Leiden
• E.J.J. van Zoelen, professor of cell biology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen
• J.M. Rijnkels, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, scientific secretary

This publication may be cited as follows

Health Council of the Netherlands. N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone; Evaluation of the carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2007; publication no. 2007/11OSH. ISBN  978-90-5549-675-4