MOLECULE

Phenol

Phenol, also known as hydroxybenzene or carbolic acid, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as hydroxy benzenoids. Phenol is a toxic, colourless crystalline solid with a sweet tarry odor that resembles a hospital smell. It is commonly used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. It is active against a wide range of microorganisms including some fungi and viruses but is only slowly effective against spores. It has been used to disinfect skin and to relieve itching. Phenol is also used in the preparation of cosmetics including sunscreens, hair dyes, and skin lightening preparations. It is also used in the production of drugs (it is the starting material in the industrial production of aspirin), weedkillers, and synthetic resins. Phenol can be found in areas with high levels of motor traffic, therefore, people living in crowded urban areas are frequently exposed to traffic-derived phenol vapor. The average (mean +/- SD) phenol concentration in urine among normal individuals living in urban areas is 7.4 +/- 2.2 mg/g of creatinine. Exposure of the skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which may be severe. In laboratories where it is used, it is usually recommended that polyethylene glycol solution is kept available for washing off splashes. In some bacteria phenol can be directly synthesized from tyrosine via the enzyme tyrosine phenol-lyase [EC:4.1.99.2]. It can be produced by Escherichia and Pseudomonas. Phenol has been identified as a uremic toxin according to the European Uremic Toxin Working Group (PMID: 22626821). Phenol also has been reported as a volatile compound detected in cannabis samples obtained through police seizures (PMID: 26657499). Phenol is also a constituent of cannabis plant and cannabis smoke. It is volatilized during the combustion of cannabis (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_2).