Irritancy phenols

Phenolphthalein, like anthraquinones and other irritant phenolic compounds, is a stimulant laxative Colonic peristalsis is increased by stimulation of sensory nerve endings in the mucosa of the intestine. Phenolphthalein also enhances entrance of water and salts into the bowel... 

Direct irritation. Phenols and cresols are direct protoplasmic toxicants that cause... 

Phenol fumes are irritating to the eyes, nose, and skin. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), exposure to phenol should be controUed so that no employees are exposed to phenol concentrations >20 mg/m, which is a time-weighted average concentration for up to a 10-h work day, 40-h work week. Phenol is very toxic to fish and has a nearly unique property of tainting the taste of fish if present in marine... 

The toxicity of a few boric acid esters has been summarized (30). In general the toxicities are directiy related to the toxicity of the alcohol or phenol produced on hydrolysis. Methyl borate has an oral rat LD q of 6.14 mL/kg in a range finding test (31) and the percutaneous LD q for the rabbit of 1.98 mL/kg. In eadier work (32), the oral LD q for the rat was 2.82 mL/kg the intraperitoneal LD q was 3.2 mL/kg. It has been shown that the mouse is more susceptible to these compounds than the rat. Methyl borate was found to be moderately irritating in an ocular toxicity test using rabbits (31,32) but only mildly irritating to skin (31). 

Health and Safety. Eree phenols may be present in phenoHc novolacs and resoles. Phenol [108-95-2] is poisonous and caustic, irritating the skin and mucous membranes. Eormaldehyde and ammonia [7764-41-7] are often emitted during the cure of novolacs and must be properly vented. Eormaldehyde is Hsted as a human carcinogen worker exposure and emissions are controUed by OSHA and the EPA. 

Epoxy Phenol Novolak Resins. Acute oral studies indicate low toxicity for these resins (49). Eye studies indicate only minor irritation in animals (49). The EPN resins have shown weak skin-sensitizing potential in humans. 

Phenol formaldehyde. Eormaldehyde is a respiratory irritant but is not classified as asthmagen. Powder coatings containing triglycidyl isocyanurate are possible asthmagens (unclassified)... 

Toxic Reactions of the Skin Irritation is the most common reaction of the skin. Skin irritation is usually a local inflammatory reaction. The most common skin irritants are solvents dehydrating, oxidizing, or reducing compounds and cosmetic compounds. Acids and alkalies are common irritants. Irritation reactions can be divided into acute irritation and corrosion. Necrosis of the surface of the skin is typical for corrosion. Acids and alkalies also cause chemical burns. Phenols, organotin compounds, hydrogen fluoride, and yellow phosphorus may cause serious burns. Phenol also causes local anesthesia, in fact it has been used as a local anesthetic in minor ear operations such as puncture of the tympanous membrane in cases of otitis. ... 

The color requirement is intended to cover the unavoidable presence of a small amt of the red form of Explosive D in admlxt with the yel form. The requirement with respect to irritant contaminarit -represents a control of the purity of PA used in manuf when this is made by the dinitrochlorobenzene process. The chloroform soluble impurities requirement also represents a control of the nature of impurities present in PA manufd by a process other than the nitration of phenol ... 

Although the initially reported tissue compatibility tests for subcutaneous implants of poly(BPA-iminocarbonate) were encouraging (41,42), it is doubtful whether this polymer will pass more stringent biocompatibility tests. In correspondence with the properties of most synthetic phenols, BPA is a known irritant and most recent results indicate that BPA is cytotoxic toward chick embryo fibroblasts in vitro (43). Thus, initial results indicate that poly(BPA-iminocarbonate) is a polymer with highly promising material properties, whose ultimate applicability as a biomaterial is questionable due to the possible toxicity of its monomeric building blocks. 

Phenolics Clear soluble fluids Black/white Slight Moderate/ Acid pH Protect skin and eyes Very irritant Adsorbed by rubber/plastic Greatly reduced by... 

Clear soluble fluids. Cresol is a mixture of o-, m- and p-methyl phenol (Fig. 10.7A). Because of its poor solubility, it is solubilized with a soap prepared fiom linseed oil and potassium hydroxide. It forms a clear solution on dilution. This preparation, known as Lysol (Cresol and Soap Solution BP 1968) has been widely used as a general purpose disinfectant but has largely been superseded by less irritant phenolies. 

As is apparent from the above information, there is no ideal disinfectant, antiseptic or preservative. All chemical agents have their limitations either in terms of their antimicrobial activity, resistance to organic matter, stability, incompatibility, irritancy, toxicity or corrosivity. To overcome the limitations of an individual agent, formulations consisting of combinations of agents are available. For example, ethanol has been combined with chlorhexidine and iodine to produce more active preparations. The combination of chlorhexidine and cetrimide is also considered to improve activity. QACs and phenols have been combined with glutaraldehyde so that the same effect can be achieved with lower, less irritant concentrations of glutaraldehyde. Some... 

If nitrogen or sulphur is present in the fuel then the mixture of combustion products may include oxides of these elements. In the absence of excess oxygen incomplete oxidation occurs to produce partially oxidized carbon compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, phenols, and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is extremely toxic and some of the other compounds are respiratory irritants. 

Surfactants. The use of surfactants is greatly restricted in formulating ophthalmic solutions. The order of surfactant toxicity is anionic > cationic >> nonionic. Several nonionic surfactants are used in relatively low concentrations to aid in dispersing steroids in suspensions and to achieve or to improve solution clarity. Those principally used are the sorbitan ether esters of oleic acid (Polysorbate or Tween 20 and 80), polymers of oxyethylated octyl phenol (Tyloxapol), and polyoxyl 40 stearate. The lowest concentration possible is used to perform the desired function. Their effect on preservative efficacy and their possible binding by macromolecules must be taken into account, as well as their effect on ocular irritation. The use of surfactants as cosolvents for an ophthalmic solution of chloramphenicol has been described [271]. This com-... 

EICEIO, a gas with an irritating smell. It is made industrially by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, and is used in the manufacture of phenol-formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde resins and plastics. 

A number of effects from breathing phenol in air have been reported in humans. Short-term effects reported include respiratory irritation, headaches, and burning eyes. Chronic effects of high exposures included weakness, muscle pain, anorexia, weight loss, and fatigue effects of chronic low-level exposures included increases in respiratory cancer, heart disease, and effects on the immune system. Virtually all of the workplace exposures associated with these effects involved exposures to other chemicals, thus it is difficult to determine whether these are solely due to phenol, or are the result of mixed, multiple, or other chemical exposures. 

In animals, exposure to high concentrations of phenol in air for a few minutes irritates the lungs, and repeated exposure for several days produces muscle tremors and loss of coordination. Exposure to high concentrations of phenol for several weeks results in paralysis and severe injury to the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs, followed by death in some cases. When exposures involve... 

In a study in which female Harlan Wistar rats were exposed for 1 hour to a phenol aerosol at a concentration of 234 ppm, then held for 2 weeks post-exposure, Flickinger (1976) observed signs of nasal irritation during exposure. However, all animals were normal by the post-exposure day 1, and no abnormal lesions were observed upon gross autopsy. No histopathology was performed thus, this study is not presented as a LOAEL for rats. 

Although the exposure concentrations were not reported, the study author stated that the patient often detected heavy odors, and that phenol was often spilled on his clothes resulting in skin irritation. Since phenol is absorbed readily from the skin, dermal absorption of phenol may have contributed to the systemic effects that were observed. The above symptoms may represent neurological effects rather than injury to the muscle tissue. 

Ocular Effects. A case-control study of office workers was conducted by Baj et al. (1994) to evaluate the risks of chronic exposures to inhaled formaldehyde, phenol and isomers of organic chlorohydrocarbons from Ksylamit which is a widely used liquid wood preservative reported to consist of a mixture of chlorinated benzenes, pentachlorophenol, alpha-chloronaphthalene, chloroparafifin, and kerosene . Twenty-two workers (18 women and 4 men) exposed for at least 6 months were the cases, and 29 non-exposed, non-smoking volunteers matched for age, sex, and place of residence were the controls. The authors indicate that all of the exposed workers developed chronic complaints, among them burning eyes, but that no remarkable increase in morbidity was found during the 6 months of exposure to Ksylamit , nor during the 3-year follow-up study (details of which were not provided). The authors attribute these symptoms to the irritant effect of the inhaled Ksylamit probably (based on the references provided) due to the formaldehyde vapor they assert emanates from the woodpreserving liquid. 

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