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Phenol
Description: Phenol (C.A.S. 108-95-2) is primarily a man-made chemical, although it is found naturally in animal wastes and decomposing organic material. It was first isolated from coal tar in 1834 and was named carbolic acid. Coal tar was the only source of phenol almost until World War I, when the first synthetic phenol was produced by sulfonation of benzene and hydrolysis of the sulfonate. It is a colorless to white solid when pure; the commercial product is a liquid. It has a sweet and acrid odor. The largest single use of phenol is as an intermediate in the production of phenolic resins, which are low-cost, versatile, thermoset resins used in the plywood adhesive, construction, automotive, and appliance industries. It is also used as an intermediate in the production of caprolactam, which is used to made nylon and other synthetic fibers, and bisphenol A, which is used to make epoxy and other resins. Phenol is also used as a slimicide, which is a chemical toxic to bacteria and fungi; as a disinfectant; and as an anesthetic in medicinal preparations including ointments, ear and nose drops, cold sore lotions, throat lozenges, and antiseptic lotions. Chemical properties: Phenol evaporates more slowly than water and is moderately dissolvable in water. It is very soluble in ether methyl and ethyl alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, acetic acid, glycerol, benzene; it is soluble in paraffin hydrocarbons. It can catch on fire. Phenol can remain in the air, soil, and water for long periods of time if a large amount of it is released at one time, or if it is constantly released to the environment from a source. Small amounts of phenol do not remain in the air for longer than a day, in the soil for longer than 2 to 5 days, and in water for longer than 9 days. Synonyms for phenol are carbolic acid, hydroxybenzene, phenyl hydroxide, monohydroxybenzene, and phenyl alcohol. Identification: Health effects: Very high concentrations of phenol can cause death if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through skin. Systemic absorption causes convulsions, as well as liver and kidney damage. Exposure can cause burning pain in the mouth and throat, bloody diarrhea, pallor, sweating, weakness, headache, dizziness, muscle ache and pain, tremors and twitches, dark urine, cyanosis, ringing in the ears, shock, and profound fall in body temperature; it can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Oral exposure can cause sonorous breathing, frothing at the mouth and nose, and extensive corrosion of the mucous membranes; central nervous system depression can occur and cause death. Repeated exposure to low levels of phenol in drinking water has been associated with diarrhea and mouth sores. Skin exposure can cause pain and burning followed by numbness and dermatitis. When the skin is exposed to phenol, the size of the total surface area of exposed skin can influence the severity of the toxic effects. Exposure Values: Economics: U.S. manufacturers of phenol are Allied Signal Inc., Philadelphia, PA; Aristech Chemical Corp, Ironton, OH; BTL Specialty Resins Corp., Blue Island, IL; Dakota Gasification Company, Beulah, ND; Georgia Gulf Corporation, Pasadena, TX, Plaquemine, LA; Dow Chemical USA, Oyster Creek, TX; General Electric Co, Mount Vernon, IN; Kalama Chemical Inc, Kalama, WA; Merichem Co, Houston, TX; Shell Chemical Co, Deer Park, TX; and Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc, El Dorado, KS. Regulation: Offices within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responsible for regulations applicable to phenol are Water Regulations and Standards, and Emergency and Remedial Response. It is also regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and listed by EPA as a water priority pollutant, a volatile organic compound, and an air toxic listed on the hazardous air pollutant list. Under Section 302 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986, phenol is listed as an Extremely Hazardous Substance and has a threshold planning quantity of 500/10,000 lbs. Under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986, releases of more than one pound of phenol into the air, water, and land must be reported annually and entered into the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). National Overview of 1998 Toxics Release Inventory See EPA's Toxic Release Inventory. Notations: The NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs) are time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations for up to a 10-hour workday during a 40-hour workweek. A short-term exposure limit (STEL) is designated by "ST" preceding the value; unless noted otherwise, the STEL is a 15-minute TWA exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during a workday. A ceiling REL is designated by "C" preceding the value. Any substance that NIOSH considers to be a potential occupational carcinogen is designated by the notation "Ca." The OSHA permissible exposure limits (PEL) are found in Tables Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3 of the OSHA General Industry Air Contaminants Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000). Unless noted otherwise, PEL are TWA concentrations that must not be exceeded during any 8-hour workshift of a 40-hour workweek. A STEL is designated by "ST" preceding the value and is measured over a 15-minute period unless noted otherwise. OSHA ceiling concentrations (designated by "C" preceding the value) must not be exceeded during any part of the workday; if instantaneous monitoring is not feasible, the ceiling must be assessed as a 15-minute TWA exposure. In addition, there are a number of substances from Table Z-2 (e.g., beryllium, ethylene dibromide, etc.) that have PEL ceiling values that must not be exceeded except for specified excursions. For example, a "5-minute maximum peak in any 2 hours" means that a 5-minute exposure above the ceiling value, but never above the maximum peak, is allowed in any 2 hours during an 8-hour workday. Information Sources:
Originally published in Environment Writer by the National Safety Council. Reprinted with permission. Environment Writer Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography Office of Marine Programs Narragansett, RI 02882 Tel: 401-874-6211; Fax: 401-874-6485 Disclaimer * Copyright 2002-2006 * All rights reserved. * University of Rhode Island |