Shop

Phenol

CAS Number: 108-95-2

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79
80 89
90 100
41

Sources of exposure:

Personal care
Cleaning products and household care
Medications
Industrial uses

Environmental contamination (water)

Description:

Phenol is an aromatic compound. It is primarily used as an industrial precursor in the manufacture of plastics and resins. It has limited use as an antiseptic or disinfectant in certain products, and its use is regulated based on intended application and exposure.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Genotoxicity

May cause mutations or damage DNA in cells.

Neurotoxicity

May impact brain function or development.

Organ System Toxicity

May cause organ damage and disease.

Immunotoxicity & Allergens

May impact immune system function or cause allergic reactions.

Respiratory Toxicity & Asthmagens

May damage the lungs or trigger asthma.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

  • European Commission Annex II prohibited substances. Government of Canada. List of Ingredients that are Prohibited for Use in Cosmetic Products.

References

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency. Cheminformatics Modules, Computational Toxicology and Exposure Informatics (CompTox).
  2. California Department of Public Health. California Safe Cosmetics Reportable Ingredients List.

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.

For more information on our scoring methodology visit this page.