Phenol Publisher



Ataei M¹ ; Maghsoudi AS¹ ; Hassani S¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Encyclopedia of Toxicology# Fourth Edition: Volume 1-9 Published:2023

Abstract

Phenol, a colorless, white crystalline solid at room temperature, also known as carbolic acid and phenic acid, is an organic compound that is found naturally. Phenol, besides its use in chemistry laboratories, is used in manufacturing of plastics, fertilizers, paints, rubber, adhesives, paper, and soap. Phenol has been widely used as an antiseptic and anesthetic in sore throat lozenges, and also as a versatile precursor to a large collection of drugs, most notably aspirin and many herbicides. Phenol and its vapors are corrosive and toxic to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract. Phenol is also very toxic to neurons and if injected into the blood stream can lead to instant death by blocking the neural transmission system. Recently, phenol waste has become a major concern which cause ecotoxic effects on water, soil and as a result human, animal, plants or even microorganisms health. Therefore, several methods are developed to remove this chemical from the environment. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.