No facts are you serious? lets see phenol or carbolic acid is it toxic?

Is Oxford university chem department a good enough reference?

The question isn't if phenol is toxic it is REALLY REALLY TOXIC. No Question at all. The question is how much phenol is in pine and how much is broken down in kiln drying. I did a lot of research a long while ago on pine chips. I can't be bothered dig up that information as it was in the 80's and is in a filing cabnet in the back of my office. The short answer is kiln dried pine has much less toxic compounds than raw pine. Pine dust actually all wood dust is not good for anyone I checked and the recommended amounts is not greater than 5mg/m3 for softwoods (that is a fair bit you can see 5mg in the air it looks dusty) look it up us department of labour wood dust.

If the pine chips are full of saw dust and has not been kiln dried don't use it. If it is clean and dust free kiln dried it is fine. The question is do you know what you are buying and are you sure.

Information changes all the time, new studies new ideas, saying I did it for years with no problems it is safe is naive. My great grand father was a blacksmith he lived and slept in a room with a coal forge. He died at 89. He never got black lung so coal dust is safe right?

For the record I am totally convinced that properly kiln dried pine that has been run through a blower to remove the dust is perfectly safe. The problem is is that what you are being supplied with.


Comenius - European Cooperation on School Education
Hands-on Science (H-Sci) Project: Chemical Safety Database

Chemical Safety Data: Phenol




Common synonyms

Hydroxybenzene, benzenol, phenyl alcohol

Formula

C6H5OH

Physical properties

Form: colourless crystals
Stability: Stable, flammable
Melting point: 40 - 42 C
Boiling point: 185 C
Specific gravity: 1.07

Principal hazards

** Warning: Phenol presents several hazards and must be handled with great care.
*** Phenol is toxic if you inhale or swallow it. It also passes readily through skin, so will be harmful if you touch it.
*** Phenol belongs to the class of "systemic poisons", which means that it can damage parts of the body far away from where it entered the body. This makes it a more hazardous chemical than most you will encounter in the laboratory.
*** Phenol is corrosive, so if it gets in contact with your skin it may cause burns, and if you inhale it it may cause lung damage.
*** In addition, the vapour pressure of phenol at room temperature is quite high for a solid. This means that harmful levels of vapour can build up if it is used in an area with poor ventilation.

Safe handling

Phenol is a toxic material. It should not be used if there is a safer alternative. Safety glasses are essential. You should also wear protective gloves to keep phenol off your skin, and use a fume cupboard so that you do not breathe in the vapour.

Emergency

Eye contact: Immediately flush the eye with water. Call for medical help.
Skin contact: Wash off with soap and water. If there are signs of skin damage call for medical help.
If swallowed: Call for immediate medical help.

Disposal

Store for later disposal as solid waste. Containers of phenol and waste containing phenol should be kept closed.

Protective equipment

Safety glasses, protective gloves (butyl rubber or neoprene are both suitable materials).

Further information

Phenol
Chemicals in the HSci database
More extensive safety data

Link to the Oxford HSci web site
We have tried to make this information as accurate and useful as possible, but can take no responsibility for its use, misuse, or accuracy. We have not verified this information, and cannot guarantee that it is up-to-date.
Oxford, August 23, 2006 - This material added at the suggestion of Tulle Hazelrigg.