CAS number
- 95-48-7
Molecular formula
- C7H8O
Formula weight
- 108.1 g/mol
Family
- Phenolic compounds
Compound properties list|
| Melting/boiling point | 31 °C / 175 °C | Solid |
| Relative density | 1.03 g/cm3 | Floats or sinks in water |
| Vapour pressure | 0.3 mm Hg | Low volatility |
| Vapour density | 0 | N/A |
| Solubility in water | 23,000 mg/L | Very soluble |
| Henry's law constant | 1 x 10-6atm·m3/mol | Slow volatilization when dissolved |
| log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | 1.5 | Moderate adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, 2-methylphenol is a solid with a relative density similar to that of water. It is
characterized by low volatility, high solubility, and once dissolved, it volatilizes slowly while
adsorbing moderately to organic matter. When present in soil, it dissolves rapidly. In the
dissolved phase, 2-methylphenol can reach the water table or migrate into a waterway, where it will
be diluted, before slowly volatilizing. Fragments of 2-methylphenol can be carried into a waterway,
where they will either disperse on the surface or be deposited at the bottom, and then dissolve.
Once the source has been removed, the adsorbed phase will disappear relatively quickly, being
released in its gaseous or dissolved (primarily) forms. The resulting dissolved plume will be
relatively large while the gaseous plume will be generally small in size.
2-methylphenol should be handled with care, as it is toxic and corrosive.
Most natural sources release only trace amounts of phenolic substances to water.
Mono-phenols have not been produced in Canada since 1992. Phenolic compounds are a major
by-product of the pulp and paper, mineral (nonmetallic), chemical, steel and metal, and petroleum
industries.
Phenols are used as disinfectants, phenolic resins, tricresyl phosphate, ore flotation, textile
scouring agent, preservatives, dyes, pesticides, and in medical and industrial organic chemicals. In
Canada, large amount of phenols are used in the production of phenolic resins, which are used as
binding materials in insulation materials, chipboard, paints, and casting sand foundries. Phenolic
compounds are also released through automobile exhaust, fireplaces, cigarette smoke, and gases from
incinerators.
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 1999. Canadian water quality
guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: Phenols – Mono- and dihydric phenols. In:
Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment,
Winnipeg. (Viewed December 2013)
Montgomery, John H. 2007. Groundwater Chemicals, Desk Reference, Fourth Edition, CRC
Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida, U.S.A.
