January
29,
2004
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Science
Chapter
on:
Environmental
Fate
Studies
and
Environmental
Fate
Assessment
of
Phenol.

FROM
A.
Najm
Shamim,
Ph.
D.,
Chemist
Regulatory
Management
Branch
II
Antimicrobials
Division
(
7510C)

To:
Ben
Chambliss,
Acting
Team
Leader
Regulatory
Management
Branch
II
Antimicrobials
Division
(
7510C)

And
Tim
McMahon,
Ph.
D.,
Chairman
of
ADTC
Committee
Antimicrobials
Division
(
7510C)

And
Michelle
Centra,
Toxicologist,
and
Member
of
ADTC
Regulatory
Management
Branch
II
Antimicrobials
Division(
7510C)

And
A.
Najm
Shamim,
Ph.
D.,
Science
Coordinator
for
Phenol
RED
Regulatory
Management
Branch
II
Antimicrobials
Division
(
7510C)

Thru:
Connie
Welch,
Chief
Regulatory
Management
Branch
II
Antimicrobials
Division
(
7510C)

Environmental
Fate
Science
Chapter
and
Fate
Assessment
on
Phenol
is
submitted
for
Reregistration
Eligibility
Decision
(
RED).
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Environmental
Fate
Assessment:

Phenol
appears
to
have
degradation
pathways
in
air
(
calculated
half
life
less
than
a
day)
water
(
measured
half
life
less
than
a
day),
aerobic
and
anaerobic
soils
(
degradation
half
lives
less
than
5
days).
It
is
not
likely
to
bioaccumalate
in
aquatic
organisms.
(
Measured
BCF
in
goldfish
is
0.28
and
1.3
in
golden
orfe).
Data
on
plants
show
that
due
to
a
high
respiratory
decomposition
of
phenol
into
carbondioxide
(
mineralization),
it
is
also
not
likely
to
accumulate
in
plants.
Due
to
multi
media
degradation
pathways,
phenol
is
not
likely
to
be
an
environmental
concern.
Appendix
Environmental
Fate
Science
Chapter
For
Phenol:

Phenol
is
registered
with
OPP
as
an
active
product
and
is
used
as
an
intermediate
in
the
production
of
epoxy
resins,
the
production
of
various
other
products,
as
a
general
disinfectant
and
in
medicinal
preparations.
For
the
reregistration
eligibility
decision
(
RED)
process
the
Agency
has
relied
on
open
literature
and
fate
properties
of
Phenol
obtained
from
open
literature.
The
following
fate
properties
were
obtained
from
an
open
literature
search.
1,
2,
3
1.
Vapor
Pressure:
0.3513
mm
Hg1;
0.341
mm
Hg2
2.
Henry
law
Constant
(
air/
water
partition
coefficent):
4.0
x
10­
7
m3/
mole
3.
Log
K
OC
(
organic
carbon
ratio
in
soil):
1.21­
1.96
4.
Log
K
OW
(
octanol/
water
partition
coefficient):
1.46
5.
Absorbs
light
in
the
region
of
290­
330
nm,
may
photodegrade
directly
in
surface
water.
6.
Half­
life
in
freshwater
<
1
day.
7.
Biodegrades
completely
in
soil
within
5
days.
8.
Estimated
half­
life
for
gas­
phase
reaction
of
phenol
with
photochemically
produced
hydroxyl
radicals
is
0.61
days
(
Overall
half­
life
<
1
day).
9.
Log
bioconcentration
factor
(
BCF)
is
0.28
in
goldfish
and
1.3
for
golden
orfe.

Phenol
is
not
expected
to
bioaccumulate
in
plants,
even
though
plants
readily
absorb
phenol,
because
of
the
high
respiratory
decomposition
rate
of
phenol
to
CO
2.
Phenol
does
not
pose
concerns
to
aquatic
organisms
due
to
the
low
BCF
and
the
rapid
biodegradation
in
water.

Surface
Water
and
Ground
Water
Contamination:

Phenol's
use
in
the
production
of
resins
and
other
manufacturing
industries,
pulp
mills,
wood
treatment
facilities,
and
as
a
general
disinfectant
allows
for
the
possibility
of
ground
and
surface
water
contamination.
Despite
phenol's
high
water
solubility
and
poor
sorption
to
soil,
biodegradation
of
phenol
is
sufficiently
rapid
so
that
the
probability
of
groundwater
contamination
will
be
low.
Because
phenol
absorbs
light
in
the
region
290­
330
nm,
phenol
might
photodegrade
directly
in
surface
water.
Phenol
is
not
expected
to
absorb
to
sediment
in
the
water
column.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
10.
Hazard
Substances
Databank
(
HSDB),
A
Database
of
the
National
Library
of
Medicine's
TOXNET
System.
11.
"
Health
and
Environmental
Effects
Profile
for
Phenol."
(
1987)
MRID
#
NR437332­
01.
U.
S.
EPA
12.
"
Toxicological
Profile
for
Phenol."
(
1998)
Agency
for
Toxic
Substance
and
Disease
Registry.
U.
S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services.
