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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Phenol. It is one 

in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter 

version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also available. This information is important because this substance may 

harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you 

are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, 

call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. 

This public health statement tells you about phenol and the effects of exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the 

nation. These sites are then placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for long-term 

federal clean-up activities. Phenol has been found in at least 595 of the 1,678 current or former NPL 

sites. Although the total number of NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, the possibility 

exists that the number of sites at which phenol is found may increase in the future as more sites are 

evaluated. This information is important because these sites may be sources of exposure, and exposure to 

this substance may be harmful. 

When a substance is released either from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. Such a release does not always lead to exposure. You 

can be exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. 

If you are exposed to phenol, many factors will determine whether you will be harmed. These factors 

include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact with it. You must 

also consider any other chemicals you are exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and 

state of health. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

1.1 WHAT IS PHENOL? 

Description Phenol is a colorless-to-white solid when pure. Commercial phenol is a 

liquid that evaporates more slowly than water. 

Phenol has a distinct odor that is sickeningly sweet and tarry. 

Uses 

 • Manufacturing 

 • Consumer 

products 

Phenol is both a manufactured chemical and produced naturally. Large 

amounts of phenol are produced in the United States. 

Phenol is used to make plastics. Phenol is also used as a disinfectant in 

household cleaning products and in consumer products such as: 

• mouthwashes 

• gargles

 • throat sprays 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO PHENOL WHEN IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Sources Phenol can be found in air and water after release from the manufacture, use, 

and disposal of products containing phenol. Phenol in soil is likely to move to 

groundwater. 

Break down

 • Air 

 • Water

 • Soil 

Phenol is quickly broken down in the air, usually within 1–2 days. 

Phenol may persist in water for a week or more. 

Phenol that remains in soil may be broken down by bacteria or other 

microorganisms. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO PHENOL?
 

Air The primary way you can be exposed to phenol is by breathing air 

containing it. Releases of phenol into the air occur from: 

• industries using or manufacturing phenol 

• automobile exhaust 

• cigarette smoke, and

 • wood burning 

Recent data on levels of phenol in air are lacking. 

Water and soil Phenol has been detected in surface waters, rainwater, sediments, drinking 

water, groundwater, industrial and urban runoff, and at hazardous waste 

sites. Phenol in soil is likely to move to groundwater. 

Workplace Workers in the following industries may be exposed to phenol: 

• petroleum industry

 • manufacture of nylon, epoxy resins and polycarbonates, herbicides, wood 

preservatives, hydraulic fluids, heavy-duty surfactants, lube-oil additives, 

tank linings and coatings, and intermediates for plasticizers and other 

specialty chemicals 

Exposure occurs through breathing and dermal contact with contaminated 

air or by skin contact with products containing phenol. 

Food Low levels of phenol have been found in foods such as smoked summer 

sausage, smoked pork belly, mountain cheese, fried bacon, fried chicken, 

and black fermented tea. 

Consumer Dermal contact can occur through the use of general disinfectants and 

products ointments containing phenol. 

Ingestion can occur through the use of products such as throat lozenges or 

sore throat sprays that contain phenol. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

1.4 HOW CAN PHENOL ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

Enter your body

 • Inhalation 

 • Ingestion 

• Dermal contact 

When you breathe air containing phenol, most of the phenol will rapidly 

enter your body through your lungs. 

Phenol in food or water may also rapidly enter your body through the 

digestive tract. 

A significant amount may enter through your skin when you come into 

contact with phenol vapor, liquid phenol or liquids containing phenol. 

Leave your body Once in your body, phenol is transformed into other chemicals called 

metabolites. Most of these other chemicals leave your body in the urine 

within few days. 

1.5 HOW CAN PHENOL AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

This section looks at studies concerning potential health effects in animal and human studies. 

Workers

 • Inhalation/ 

dermal 

Long-term exposure to phenol at work has been associated with 

cardiovascular disease, but the workers were also exposed to other 

chemicals at the same time. 

General 

population

 • Oral Ingestion of liquid products containing concentrated phenol can cause 

serious gastrointestinal damage and even death. 

General 

population

 • Dermal Application of concentrated phenol to the skin can cause severe skin 

damage. 

Laboratory 

animals 

• Inhalation Short-term exposure to high levels of phenol has caused irritation of the 

respiratory tract and muscle twitching in animals. 

Longer-term exposure to high levels of phenol caused damaged to the 

heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs in animals. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

Laboratory 

animals 

 • Oral Drinking water with extremely high concentrations of phenol has caused 

muscle tremors, difficulty walking, and death in animals. 

Laboratory 

animals 

 • Dermal Short-term application of phenol to the skin has produced blisters and burns 

in animals. 

Cancer There is no evidence that phenol causes cancer in humans. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the EPA 

determined that phenol is not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. 

1.6 HOW CAN PHENOL AFFECT CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

Effects in children Vomiting and lethargy were the main symptoms observed in children 

following accidental ingestion of a disinfectant containing phenol. We do not 

know whether children would be more sensitive than adults to the effects of 

phenol. 

Birth defects Two studies of women exposed to phenol and other chemicals during 

pregnancy did not provide evidence of birth defects. 

Some birth defects have been observed in animals born to females exposed 

to phenol during pregnancy. This generally occurred at exposure levels that 

were also toxic to the mothers. 

Breast milk There is no information on levels of phenol in human breast milk. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO PHENOL?
 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Tobacco smoke Phenol is a component of tobacco smoke. Avoid smoking in enclosed 

spaces like inside the home or car in order to limit exposure to children and 

other family members. 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

Consumer 

products 

Household products and over-the-counter medications containing phenol 

should be stored out of the reach of young children to prevent accidental 

poisonings and skin burns. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO 

PHENOL? 

Detecting 

exposure 

Phenol can be measured in blood and urine. Phenol is a normal constituent 

of human urine. 

Measuring 

exposure 

A higher-than-normal concentration of phenol in the urine may suggest 

recent exposure to phenol or to substances that are converted to phenol in 

the body. 

The detection of phenol and/or its metabolites in your urine cannot be used 

to predict the kind of health effects that might develop from that exposure. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations 

can be enforced by law. The EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are some federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances. Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, but cannot be 

enforced by law. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations that develop 

recommendations for toxic substances. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed as “not-to-exceed” levels. These are levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not exceed a critical value. This critical value is usually based 

on levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes 

these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal organizations because they used different exposure times 

(an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), different animal studies, or other factors. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for phenol include the following: 

Drinking water The EPA has determined that exposure to phenol in drinking water at a 

concentration of 6 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for up to 10 days is not 

expected to cause any adverse effects in a child. 

The EPA has determined that lifetime exposure to 2 mg/L phenol in drinking 

water is not expected to cause any adverse effects. 

Bottled water The FDA has determined that the phenol concentration in bottled drinking 

water should not exceed 0.001 mg/L. 

Workplace air OSHA set a legal limit of 5 parts per million (ppm) phenol in air averaged 

over an 8-hour work day. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, or contact ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics 

specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses that result from exposure to hazardous 

substances. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Phenol 

CAS # 108-95-2 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine September 2008 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You may 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM CD-ROM by calling the toll-free information and technical 

assistance number at 1-800-CDCINFO (1-800-232-4636), by e-mail at cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or by writing 

to: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine 

 1600 Clifton Road NE 

 Mailstop F-32 

 Atlanta, GA 30333

 Fax: 1-770-488-4178
 

Organizations for-profit may request copies of final Toxicological Profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road

 Springfield, VA 22161

 Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000

 Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/
 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov