Fact sheet: Phenol

From: Public Services and Procurement Canada

Discover a list of a contaminant's important chemical properties, how it will react in the environment, main sources of contamination related, and a brief overview of health and safety issues.

General information

CAS number: 108-95-2
Molecular formula: C₆H₆O
Formula weight: 94.1 g/mol
Family: Phenolic compounds

Properties (at room temperature where applicable)

Compound properties list
Parameter	Value	Comment
Melting/boiling point	41 °C	Solid
Relative density	1.06 g/cm³	Sinks in water
Vapour pressure	0.3 mm Hg	Low volatility
Vapour density	3.2	Much denser than air
Solubility in water	80,000 mg/L	Very soluble
Henry's law constant	3 x 10^-7atm·m³/mol	Slow volatilization when dissolved
log K_oc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics)	1.2 - 3.5^*	Moderate adsorption to organic matter

Environmental behaviour

At 20 ⁰C, phenol is a solid with low volatility and high solubility. Once it is dissolved, it volatilizes slowly and adsorbs moderately to organic matter. When present in the soil, it volatilizes slowly and dissolves rapidly. Once dissolved, phenol can reach the groundwater table or drain into a waterway, where it will be diluted, before it volatilizes slowly. Fragments of phenol can also be carried into a waterway and deposited at the bottom, where they will rapidly dissolve. Once the source has been removed, the adsorbed phase will disappear quickly, liberating contamination in either the gaseous or dissolved (primary) state. The resulting dissolved plume will be relatively large in size while the gaseous plume will be generally small in size.

Health and safety

Phenol should be handled with care as it is corrosive and toxic.

Principal resources

Pure phenol is produced during petroleum distillation. Phenol can also be synthesized by oxidation of cumene or toluene and by vapor-phase hydrolysis of chlorobenzene. Phenol has not been produced in Canada since 1992 and is now imported.

In Canada, a significant portion of the imported phenol is used in the production of epoxy and other resins (example, phenol-formaldehyde resins), which are used in several industries including casting sand foundries, automotive parts, construction and appliances. Phenol is also used as a binder in insulation, chipboard, plywood and paints. Phenol is used in the manufacture of several products such as plastics, paints, synthetic textiles, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Phenol is also present in consumer products as a general disinfectant, anaesthetic, and antiseptic.

Phenol is an important by-product of a variety of processes including pulp and paper production, wood milling, manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products, chemical production, steel and metal production and petroleum refining.

Phenol is found in petroleum products such as gasoline, gasohol, fuel oil, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, and high temperature coal tar. Phenol is formed naturally during the decomposition of organic matter and during forest fires. It is also found in coal tar and produced during the photo-degradation of atmospheric benzene.