Phenols are widely used in household products and as intermediates for industrial synthesis. For example, phenol itself is used (in low concentrations) as a disinfectant in household cleaners and in mouthwash. Phenol may have been the first surgical antiseptic.
Phenol has a distinct odor that is sickeningly sweet and tarry. You can taste and smell phenol at levels lower than those that are associated with harmful effects. Phenol evaporates more slowly than water, and a moderate amount can form a solution with water.
Phenolic acids, readily absorbed through intestinal tract walls, are beneficial to human health due to their potential antioxidants and avert the damage of cells resulted from free-radical oxidation reactions.
The fall of blood-pressure after large doses of phenol is due to depression of the heart muscle and dilatation of the blood vessels. With small doses the increase of blood-pressure is due to stimulation of the heart muscle or of the vaso-motor center.
