Phenol saline....is it carcinogenic?

[bluedolphin]

Phenol Saline as used in blood labs ....is it carcinogenic?

[incitatus]

suspect you mean phenolphthalein. It is a cancer suspect agent (as in suspected but not proven) but is also a potent laxative. Handle with care.

[Gef]

Phenol saline is not the same as phenolphthalein. Phenol saline is (as its name suggests) a solution containing sodium chloride (0.9%) and phenol (0.4%). Phenol is not a suspected carcinogen but it is toxic and contact with the solid can cause severe burns. However, as long as you don't drink it, phenol saline should not pose any health hazard. Phenolphthalein is commonly used in schools and is not a suspected carcinogen.

[incitatus]

sadly geff you are wrong: the FDA in the states disagrees: HHS News, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Web page: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00589.html.
as does the carolina biological supply company: http://www.carolina.com/labsafety/msds/phenolphtha
lein,%201%25%20in%2070%25.pdf and the world health organisation: http://www.who.int/medicines/library/qsm/drugalert
/alert65.htm however this is debated hotly, which is why it is a suspect agent, not a carcinogen.

[Gef]

I take your point incitatus. However, there is a big difference between using a few drops of a 1% solution in a lab and actually eating the stuff.