Alan,

Thank you for this perspective. I also really much love and ingest A LOT of phenol about 10 times a year when I get strep throat because the spray (Chloraseptic) that has phenol is the only thing that stops the pain enough for me other than pain killers. I don't like to take pain killers; rather ingest the phenol. You can still find it with the phenol!

I did not know that it was used for skin peels. People are crazy!!!

Monique Wilhelm

Laboratory Manager

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

University of Michigan - Flint

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Alan Hall
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2017 10:22 AM

To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (10 articles)

Et al,

Phenol (aka carbolic acid ,etc.), was once used (in quite dilute concentrations) as a disinfectant in doctors' offices before emerging infectious diseases demanded that surgical instruments for simple procedures be sterilized. That's what that "Drs. office smell" used to be.

In the AHLS Courcse (Advanced HAZMAT Life Support), we emphasize that phenol dermal exposure often causes a whitish discoloration of the skin, which is also often painless (very low concentrations of phenol were in the past used in a variety of over-the-counter cough-and-cold preparations -- the old formulation of Chloroseptic(R) comes to mind).

Concentrated preparations can of course be very dangerous and even when used as part of a chemical skin peeling procedure for aesthetic purposes (why can't some people accept aging as a part of life and their wrinkles as something to be proud of rather than chasing youth which can never be regained?), there have been some serious injuries and deaths as phenol can be cardiotoxic/hemotoxic/hepatoxic/renotoxic when enough is systemically absorbed. Life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias have occurred multiple times.

Reference:

Burgher F et al. Pathophysiology of Chemical Skin Injuries, Section 4.3.2.4 Phenol, in: Maibach HI, Hall AH (eds), Chemical Skin Injuries: Mechanisms, Prevention, Decontaminamentation, Treatment. Springer, Heidelberg, 2014, pp. 111.

Alan

Alan H. Hall, M.D.

Medical Toxicologist

OldEDDoc**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com

On Wed, Sep 27, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Harry J. Elston <helston**At_Symbol_Here**midwestchemsafety.com> wrote:

Monique,

For some light reading, here's the ATSDR report on phenol toxicology from CDC: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp115.pdf

Harry

Virus-free. www.avast.com

On Wed, Sep 27, 2017 at 5:37 PM, Lawrence M Gibbs <lgibbs**At_Symbol_Here**stanford.edu> wrote:

Phenol is not only caustic, but is readily skin absorbed with delayed systemic toxicity. Not knowing more than what is below, I suspect it was a phenol solution that spilled and it is most important to remove as quickly as possible all contaminated clothing, even after dousing with water to decrease the skin contact time. Delayed toxic effects can initiate up to 4-12 hours after exposure. Absorption efficiency through the skin contact is approximately the same as inhalation.

Phenol is one of those substances too many researchers take for granted due to the ubiquitous use in laboratories. Anyone working with phenol should be aware of the immediate and delayed toxic effects of exposure as well as caustic characteristics.

Larry

Lawrence M. Gibbs, CIH, FAIHA
Associate Vice Provost
Stanford University
480 Oak Road
Stanford, CA 95305
lgibbs**At_Symbol_Here**stanford.edu
(o) 650.723.7403
(c) 650.387.1121



-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Wilhelm, Monique
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 1:56 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (10 articles)

Can someone help me understand the phenol accident? They had HazMat on scene doing full decon.

Monique Wilhelm
Laboratory Manager
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
University of Michigan - Flint


-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 8:04 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (10 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 8:03:35 AM

A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (10 articles)

ROCHESTER FIRE DEPARTMENT CLEANS UP EMERSON STREET HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

OVERHEATED CHEMICAL PROMPTS EVACUATIONS AT CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tags: us_MD, education, release, response, unknown_chemical

4 SAGINAW VALLEY STATE STUDENTS HAVE REACTIONS TO CHEMICAL
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, injury, phenol

UPDATED: 8 KPD OFFICERS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL, ANOTHER TREATED, AFTER ENCOUNTERING 'CHEMICAL AGENT' WHILE SERVING DRUG WARRANT
Tags: us_IN, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical, clandestine_lab

SCIENCE EAST CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS NINE TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, injury, phenol

CAUSE OF CHEMICAL STENCH STILL A MYSTERY, ENVIRONMENT NEWS &AMP; TOP STORIES
Tags: Singapore, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

HARRIS COUNTY TO SUE ARKEMA OVER CROSBY EXPLOSIONS
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

QUESTIONS RAISED BY SAFETY WATCHDOG OVER STORAGE OF CHEMICALS IN ABERDEEN SCHOOLS
Tags: uk, laboratory, discovery, environmental

TEST BUY SHOWS 94% OF WHITENING PRODUCTS IN MANILA, OTHERS CONTAIN HIGH MERCURY LEVELS
Tags: Philippines, public, discovery, environmental, mercury

FOUR INDUSTRIAL MISHAPS IN SIX DAYS GIVE RISE TO CALLS FOR WORKPLACE SAFETY MEASURES
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, followup, environmental


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ROCHESTER FIRE DEPARTMENT CLEANS UP EMERSON STREET HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

The Rochester Fire Department dealt with a hazmat situation on Tuesday morning at the Sherwin Williams on Emerson Street.

After responding to a 7:18 a.m. call about an unknown odor, the hazmat situation was declared around 7:30 a.m. after five gallons of an unknown chemical were disposed of down a drain at a nearby unoccupied building. Hazmat crews were able to resolve the situation by flushing the chemicals and then ventilating the structure.

No one has been reported ill or injured, and the scene has been turned over to the DEC.

---------------------------------------------

OVERHEATED CHEMICAL PROMPTS EVACUATIONS AT CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tags: us_MD, education, release, response, unknown_chemical

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WBFF) - A chemical overheated at Carroll Community College in Westminster, producing toxic fumes that prompted the evacuation of the entire campus.
No one was injured in the incident, which was reported at 3:40 p.m. in Building K, said Carroll County spokesperson Robin Stansbury.
There are five buildings on campus that are interconnected, he said.
He could not confirm what the chemical was.

---------------------------------------------

4 SAGINAW VALLEY STATE STUDENTS HAVE REACTIONS TO CHEMICAL
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, injury, phenol

KOCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Saginaw Valley State University says four students have suffered skin reactions after coming in contact with a toxic disinfectant in a chemistry lab.

University spokesman Justin Engel says at first one student went to a hospital with symptoms after exposure to phenol, but three other students later began suffering similar symptoms with a skin irritation on their wrists and forearms. They also were transported to a hospital after being quarantined with five other students and a professor who did not experience adverse reactions.

Engel tells WJRT-TV that everyone in the lab in the Herbert Dow Dean Science Building was wearing standard safety equipment, including gloves and goggles, when the chemical exposure occurred.

---------------------------------------------

UPDATED: 8 KPD OFFICERS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL, ANOTHER TREATED, AFTER ENCOUNTERING 'CHEMICAL AGENT' WHILE SERVING DRUG WARRANT
Tags: us_IN, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical, clandestine_lab

KOKOMO - Eight Kokomo Police Department officers were taken by ambulance to St. Vincent Kokomo Tuesday night after they "encountered some sort of chemical agent" while serving a search warrant on the city's north side, according to city officials.

One additional officer was treated at the hospital for exposure, according to a KPD press release.

At 9:10 p.m., Kokomo Deputy Mayor David Tharp confirmed to the Tribune that all affected officers were alert and walking. And by early Wednesday morning, KPD Maj. Brian Seldon had confirmed that all affected officers were released from the hospital.

---------------------------------------------

SCIENCE EAST CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS NINE TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, injury, phenol

A delayed onset of chemical burn symptoms led to a chaotic scene Tuesday, Sept. 26 at the Science East building, where a chemical spill during an organic chemistry lab sent nine students and their professor to the hospital.

According to Bradon Rossie, Kochville Township Fire Department Inspector, the spill took place in SE 239.

Only four of the students exhibited the skin rash that resulted from contact with phenol, also known as carbolic acid, a solid crystalline substance which requires careful handling due to the chemical burns that contact with the substance and the vapors it produces can cause. The other five students and the professor were also rushed to the hospital via emergency vehicle.

SVSU's official statement reads that the first student to complain of skin irritation on their arms went to the hospital around 1:45 p.m. without a 911 call being placed. Soon after, three more students in the classroom noticed they too had skin irritation. The Kochville Township Fire Department received the emergency call just after 3:00 p.m.

Once it was established that a chemical spill had taken place, University Police responded to the incident by cordoning off the hallway and restricting access to the affected area of Science East. Students were quarantined and treated by medical responders after being moved to an adjacent classroom. They were then decontaminated inside the classroom and taken to the hospital. Medical personnel at the scene stated the patients would likely be split between multiple area hospitals.

Kochville, Zilwaulkee, Thomas and Bridgeport Township Fire Departments responded with multiple fire engines, as did Mobile Medical Response with ambulances. A biohazard response team from Saginaw County Hazardous Materials responded as well.

Decontamination procedures required the affected students and professor to remove their clothes, have their skin cleaned of any phenol residue and to cover themselves in sterile sheets while they were transported to the hospital. All those affected by the chemical spill were able to walk under their own power from the second floor of Science East to the waiting emergency vehicles.

---------------------------------------------

CAUSE OF CHEMICAL STENCH STILL A MYSTERY, ENVIRONMENT NEWS &AMP; TOP STORIES
Tags: Singapore, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

Investigations have yet to uncover the cause of the caustic chemical stench that cloaked parts of the island on Monday, but experts have so far ruled out volcanic action in Bali and the haze.

Air pollutants tracked by the authorities, such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, were also normal, following checks by officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force on Monday.

These gases are usually emitted from vehicles or factories that burn natural gas.

The NEA, which has been monitoring air quality, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), across the island, said last night that air quality and VOC levels continue to remain within safety limits.

Some VOCs may have short-and long-term adverse effects on health.

On Monday, complaints first poured in from residents in Sengkang and Punggol about an acrid, chemical stench that was later detected by people in estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Seletar and Bishan. Thick smoke also hung over some of the affected areas, residents said.

---------------------------------------------

HARRIS COUNTY TO SUE ARKEMA OVER CROSBY EXPLOSIONS
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized the county attorney to file a lawsuit against Arkema over its struggles to manage stores of hazardous chemicals during Hurricane Harvey.
The county's Pollution Control Services Department found serious violations of the Texas Clean Air Act by Arkema, County attorney Vince Ryan said in a statement. The county will try to recover the costs from responding to the crisis at the company's Crosby plant. It will ask the court to review Arkema's emergency preparedness plan and its environmental practices. The commissioners made the decision to approve the suit as part of its agenda wide unanimous vote.
"We've shown if you're a bad actor, we'll hold you accountable," said Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman.
Arkema's Crosby facility is in Morman's precinct.
The county attorney's office said it is preparing the suit which could be filed as soon as Friday.xxx

---------------------------------------------

QUESTIONS RAISED BY SAFETY WATCHDOG OVER STORAGE OF CHEMICALS IN ABERDEEN SCHOOLS
Tags: uk, laboratory, discovery, environmental

The Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC), which provides health and safety advice to science departments, raised questions after routine investigations of city schools.

It concerns 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine, which is explosive under certain circumstances. In science labs it is used to test for carbonyl functionality of a ketone or aldehyde as part of Brady's test.

One unidentified Aberdeen academy has the chemical in stock and has verified it is stored correctly.

While two others stocked it, the report said, "it was not possible to determine if the chemicals held were stored correctly based on the inventories provided".

Six schools have still to submit their inventories.

The report, to be discussed by the audit, risk and scrutiny committee today, recommends a standardised chemical stock list is introduced across schools.

---------------------------------------------

TEST BUY SHOWS 94% OF WHITENING PRODUCTS IN MANILA, OTHERS CONTAIN HIGH MERCURY LEVELS
Tags: Philippines, public, discovery, environmental, mercury

At least 94 percent of whitening products were found to have high levels of mercury during a test buy conducted by consumer and chemical safety groups last Sept. 16 to 21 in Angeles, Antipolo, Bi=C3=B1an, Mabalacat, Malolos, Manila, Para=C3=B1aque, Pasay, Quezon, San Jose del Monte, San Pedro, and Tanauan Cities.

Out of 35 whiteners which can be bought at price range of P60 to P240 each, Laban Konsyumer Inc. and EcoWaste Coalition found that 33 of these products had mercury content of up to 46,000 part per million (ppm).

Mercury is considered extremely toxic and handling it must be done with care. There has already been a global plan to completely phase out the use of mercury in skin lightening creams and soaps by 2020. Southeast Asian nations, however, have since adopted in 2007 to ban cosmetics that exceeded a mercury level of 1 ppm.

"While the Minamata Convention sets a 2020 phase-out date for mercury-containing skin lightening creams and soaps, Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, ban mercury in excess of 1 ppm under the heavy metal limits of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive that were adopted in 2007," said Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition's Project Protect.

---------------------------------------------

FOUR INDUSTRIAL MISHAPS IN SIX DAYS GIVE RISE TO CALLS FOR WORKPLACE SAFETY MEASURES
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, followup, environmental

Expressing grave concerns over a series of industrial accidents reported in Karachi within a span of six days, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) on Monday demanded of the government make speedy efforts to ensure workplaces across Sindh have occupational health and safety measures in place.

In a statement, Piler Executive Director Karamat Ali said a number of factories and buildings caught fire in the city, some severe enough to have claimed lives of workers.

Only this past Sunday two fires were reported in the city. The first one erupted at a 14-storey building and was so severe that three floors, including two popular eateries located on the building's ground floor, were gutted. The second was reported to have engulfed a cardboard godown located near Shafiq More. No casualties were, however, reported in the two incidents.

However, in an incident reported on Saturday, three workers died while a fourth is still stated to be in a critical condition, after they fell into the chemical tank of a fish processing factory named Inter Market Factory, in Ibrahim Hyderi.

On September 20, one labourer died while another suffered injuries when a chemical storage of a cosmetic factory exploded after a fire erupted in the factory, located on Sharea Faisal. The blast was triggered by insufficient safety measures in the factory's basement where the storage unit was located.

---------------------------------------------

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