[Combined chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity test of tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) applied to female mouse skin].

Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP), a widely used flame retardant, was tested for its skin chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity using female Slc: ddY mice. TCEP (5 and 50%) dissolved in ethanol was applied to the shaved skin twice a week for 79 weeks. The control group received ethanol under similar condition. In addition, 5 animals in each group were killed at 6 and 12 months and used for the chronic toxicity study. In body weight, food consumption and survival rate, there was no significant difference between the control and treated groups. Spleen weight was decreased in the 50% group. No significant difference in the incidence of tumors and other non-neoplastic lesions of the skin and other organs was found between the control and treated groups. The results indicate that under the conditions of the present study, TCEP has no carcinogenicity and toxicity for the skin.