Aquatic pollution is a major problem raised in environmental issues. Aquatic pollutants often occur in petroleum industrial areas, organic and synthetic materials production, textile processing and paper and pulp milling that greatly free up waste water such as phenol compounds and their derivatives. The presence of phenol is not only carcinogenic but also gives a bad smell and taste. The World Health Organization sets the permissible water quality standards containing phenols at 0.002 g / mL [1].

Do you know what is phenol? Phenol or benzene is a colorless compound, easily melted, dissolved in water and has a special smell. Chemical formula of phenol is C₆H₅OH and has a hydroxyl group (^-OH) on its structure that is associated with phenyl ring. Phenol (phenyl alcohol) has a limited solubility in water of 8.3 grams / 100 ml. The properties of phenols are acidic, which means they can release H + ions from their hydroxyl groups. This is evidenced by reacting phenol with NaOH which phenol releases H⁺, hence it has acidic properties.

But do you know that phenol also has its uses in our lives. In everyday life, phenol has its own use such as a wood preservative disinfectant. At the range of 0.01% -1%, phenol is considered bacteriostatic, which can kill pathogenic microorganisms in dead matter. In addition, phenol is used in the paint and petrochemical industries, drugs such as aspirin, cosmetics plastic, agricultural fertilizer production and so on which has protein coagulation properties.

In the Nazi era of World War II, phenol injections were often used for the death penalty. At that time, phenol injection was conducted against thousands in detention camps, most notably in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The injection is performed by the doctor on the veins (intravenous) in the arms and the heart. If the phenol is injected directly to the heart, it can lead to direct death. Phenol also has its use in the synthesis of aromatic hydrocarbons found in coal, but if the skin is exposed to phenol, it can cause skin to blister and damage. When phenol is concentrated, it can cause burning effects on exposed skin.

Although phenols are considered to be very harmful if exposed to skin, but phenols have antiseptic use that can prevent or kill pathogenic microorganisms as first used by Sir Josep Lister during surgery. He introduced the aseptic system through his publication in the British Medical Journal entitled "Antiseptic Principle in the Practice of Surgery". In its use, phenol is the main component of antiseptic, TCP (trichlorophenol) for sterilization of surgical instrument and wound care, Lister launched the use of phenol as antiseptic, thus becoming the first antiseptic widely used in surgery. He began to recognize that phenol was an effective disinfectant when it was used to relieve the stench from the irrigated fields with sewage residues. He considers it safe because the phenol-treated farm does not show any adverse effects on the farm in the field.

But today, we need to realize that phenol is actually harmful to certain concentrations. Because phenol solutions are an integral part of routine life science applications, their hazards may be taken for granted. Phenol can be very dangerous and the hazards are not just those of a typical corrosive. The hazards of phenol are 2 fold. It is both corrosive (can cause severe burns) and toxic (absorbed phenol acts as a systemic toxin). In one case, death resulted from ingestion of as little as 15 ml. Liquid phenol can penetrate the skin approximately equal to that of inhalation. Deaths have been reported for exposures of 25% or more of body surface area. Phenol has an anesthetic effect and can cause severe burns that may not be immediately painful or visible. The threshold concentration of human skin damage from phenol is 1.5%. It can cause permanent eye injury and blindness.

Sources and potential exposure individuals may be exposed to phenol through breathing contaminated air or through skin contact in the workplace. Other exposures to phenol may occur through the use of phenol-containing medicinal products (including mouthwashes, toothache drops, throat lozenges, analgesic rubs, and antiseptic lotions) or smoking tobacco.

Date of Input: 18/03/2019 | Updated: 18/03/2019 | fatma