Cresol
Encyclopedia
Cresols are organic compound
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

s which are methyl
Methyl group
Methyl group is a functional group derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms —CH3. The group is often abbreviated Me. Such hydrocarbon groups occur in many organic compounds. The methyl group can be found in three forms: anion, cation and radical. The anion...

phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...

s. They are a widely occurring natural and manufactured group of aromatic organic compound
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

s which are categorized as phenols
Phenols
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group...

 (sometimes called phenolics). Depending on the temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...

, cresols can be solid
Solid
Solid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...

 or liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...

 because they have melting point
Melting point
The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. The melting point of a substance depends on pressure and is usually specified at standard atmospheric pressure...

s not far from room temperature. Like other types of phenols, they are slowly oxidized by long exposure to air and the impurities often give cresols a yellowish to brownish red tint. Cresols have an odor
Odor
An odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds, generally at a very low concentration, that humans or other animals perceive by the sense of olfaction. Odors are also commonly called scents, which can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant odors...

 characteristic to that of other simple phenols, reminiscent to some of a "coal tar
Coal tar
Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...

" smell.

Chemical structure

In its chemical structure
Chemical structure
A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of molecules. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together. Molecular geometry can range from the very simple, such as...

, a cresol molecule
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...

 has a methyl group
Methyl group
Methyl group is a functional group derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms —CH3. The group is often abbreviated Me. Such hydrocarbon groups occur in many organic compounds. The methyl group can be found in three forms: anion, cation and radical. The anion...

 substituted onto the benzene ring of a phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...

 molecule. There are three forms of cresols that are only slightly different in their chemical structure and physical properties: ortho-cresol (o-cresol
O-Cresol
ortho-Cresol, also 2-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.It is an isomer of p-cresol, m-cresol and anisole-Chemistry:...

),
meta
-cresol
(m-cresol
M-Cresol
m-Cresol, also 3-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.Amongst its uses it can be used as a solvent for dissolving polymers, most notably the conducting polymer polyaniline...

), and para-cresol (p-cresol
P-Cresol
p-Cresol, also 4-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.It is a positional isomer; the other two are m-cresol and o-cresol. P-cresol is a major component in pig odor. . For more information see cresol. 4-methylphenol is a component in human sweat. It is a component of human odour attractive...

). These forms occur separately or as a mixture. The word tricresol can be used as a synonym for cresol where it means a mixture of o-, m- and p-cresols.

Isomers of Cresol
Skeletal formula
Skeletal formula
The skeletal formula of an organic compound is a shorthand representation of its molecular structure, developed by the organic chemist, Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz. Skeletal formulae are ubiquitous in organic chemistry, because they are relatively quick and simple to draw. Carbon and...

Ball-and-stick model
Ball-and-stick model
In chemistry, the ball-and-stick model is a molecular model of a chemical substance which is to display both the three-dimensional position of the atoms and the bonds between them...

General
Common name o-cresol m-cresol p-cresol
Systematic name
IUPAC nomenclature
A chemical nomenclature is a set of rules to generate systematic names for chemical compounds. The nomenclature used most frequently worldwide is the one created and developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry ....

2-methylphenol 3-methylphenol 4-methylphenol
Other names ortho-cresol meta-cresol para-cresol
Molecular formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....

C7H8O
SMILES
Simplified molecular input line entry specification
The simplified molecular-input line-entry specification or SMILES is a specification in form of a line notation for describing the structure of chemical molecules using short ASCII strings...

Oc1c(C)cccc1 Oc1cc(C)ccc1 Oc1ccc(C)cc1
Molar mass
Molar mass
Molar mass, symbol M, is a physical property of a given substance , namely its mass per amount of substance. The base SI unit for mass is the kilogram and that for amount of substance is the mole. Thus, the derived unit for molar mass is kg/mol...

108.14 g/mol
Appearance at room
temperature and pressure
colorless crystals thicker liquid greasy-looking solid
CAS number
CAS registry number
CAS Registry Numbersare unique numerical identifiers assigned by the "Chemical Abstracts Service" toevery chemical described in the...

[95-48-7] [108-39-4] [106-44-5]
mixture of cresols (tricresol): [1319-77-3]
Properties
Density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...

 and phase
Phase (matter)
In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, index of refraction, and chemical composition...

1.05 g/cm3, solid 1.03 g/cm3, liquid 1.02 g/cm3, liquid
Solubility in pure water
at 20-25°C
2.5 g/100 ml 2.4 g/100 ml 1.9 g/100 ml
soluble in strongly alkaline water
Melting point
Melting point
The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. The melting point of a substance depends on pressure and is usually specified at standard atmospheric pressure...

29.8 °C (303.0 K) 11.8 °C (285.0 K) 35.5 °C (309.7 K)
Boiling point
Boiling point
The boiling point of an element or a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....

191.0 °C (464.2 K) 202.0 °C (475.2 K) 201.9 °C (475.1 K)
Acidity
Acid dissociation constant
An acid dissociation constant, Ka, is a quantitative measure of the strength of an acid in solution. It is the equilibrium constant for a chemical reaction known as dissociation in the context of acid-base reactions...

 (pKa)
10.26 10.09 10.26
Viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...

solid at 25 °C ? cP
Poise
The poise is the unit of dynamic viscosity in the centimetre gram second system of units. It is named after Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille ....

 at 25 °C
solid at 25 °C
Structure
Dipole moment 1.35 D
Debye
The debye is a CGS unit of electric dipole momentElectric dipole moment is defined as charge times displacement: Historically the debye was defined as the dipole moment resulting from two charges of opposite sign but an equal magnitude of 10-10 statcoulomb10-10 statcoulomb is approximately 0.2083...

1.61 D
Debye
The debye is a CGS unit of electric dipole momentElectric dipole moment is defined as charge times displacement: Historically the debye was defined as the dipole moment resulting from two charges of opposite sign but an equal magnitude of 10-10 statcoulomb10-10 statcoulomb is approximately 0.2083...

1.58 D
Debye
The debye is a CGS unit of electric dipole momentElectric dipole moment is defined as charge times displacement: Historically the debye was defined as the dipole moment resulting from two charges of opposite sign but an equal magnitude of 10-10 statcoulomb10-10 statcoulomb is approximately 0.2083...

Hazards
MSDS
Material safety data sheet
A Material Safety Data Sheet is a form with data regarding the properties of a particular substance....

External MSDS  ? ?
Main hazards flammable, ingestion and inhalation toxicity hazard
Flash point
Flash point
The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. Measuring a flash point requires an ignition source...

81°C c.c. 86 °C 86 °C c.c.
R/S statement
Risk and Safety Statements
Risk and Safety Statements, also known as R/S statements, R/S numbers, R/S phrases, and R/S sentences, is a system of hazard codes and phrases for labeling dangerous chemicals and compounds. The R/S statement of a compound consists of a risk part and a safety part , each followed by a combination...

- (-)/-
RTECS
RTECS
Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances is a database of toxicity information compiled from the open scientific literature without reference to the validity or usefulness of the studies reported. Until 2001 it was maintained by US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as...

 number
? ? ?
Supplementary data page
Structure & properties n
Refractive index
In optics the refractive index or index of refraction of a substance or medium is a measure of the speed of light in that medium. It is expressed as a ratio of the speed of light in vacuum relative to that in the considered medium....

, εr
Dielectric constant
The relative permittivity of a material under given conditions reflects the extent to which it concentrates electrostatic lines of flux. In technical terms, it is the ratio of the amount of electrical energy stored in a material by an applied voltage, relative to that stored in a vacuum...

, etc.
Thermodynamic data Phase behaviour
Solid, liquid, gas
Spectral data UV, IR
Infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy is the spectroscopy that deals with the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, that is light with a longer wavelength and lower frequency than visible light. It covers a range of techniques, mostly based on absorption spectroscopy. As with all spectroscopic...

, NMR
NMR spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy, is a research technique that exploits the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei to determine physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained...

, MS
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...

Related compounds
Related phenols
Phenols
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group...

phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...

, xylenols
Related compounds bromo cresol
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state (at 25°C, 100 kPa)
Standard state
In chemistry, the standard state of a material is a reference point used to calculate its properties under different conditions. In principle, the choice of standard state is arbitrary, although the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry recommends a conventional set of standard states...


Infobox disclaimer and references


Applications

Cresols are used to dissolve
Solvation
Solvation, also sometimes called dissolution, is the process of attraction and association of molecules of a solvent with molecules or ions of a solute...

 other chemicals, as disinfectants and deodorizers, and to make specific chemicals that kill insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

 pest
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...

s.

Cresol solutions are used as household cleaners and disinfectants, perhaps most famously under the trade name Lysol
Lysol
Lysol is a trade name for common household cleanersLysol may also refer to:* Lysol , a 1992 album by The Melvins* Lysol , Actor muMs da Schemer played Lysol in The Mad Real World skit on Chappelle's Show....

. Cresol solutions can also be found in photographic developers. In the past, cresol solutions have been used as antiseptic
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...

s in surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

, but they have been largely displaced in this role by less toxic compounds. Lysol was also advertised as a disinfecting vaginal douche
Douche
A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself.Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of...

 in mid-twentieth century America.

Cresols are found in many foods and in wood and tobacco smoke, crude oil, coal tar
Coal tar
Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...

, and in brown mixtures such as creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...

, cresolene
Cresolene
Cresolene is a dark liquid with a pungent smell made from coal tar used in the 19th and early 20th century as a disinfectant and to treat various ailments such as colds and measles. There was also a special 'Vapo-Cresolene' lamp used to heat the substance so that the fumes could be inhaled-External...

 and cresylic acids, which are wood preservative
Preservative
A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes....

s. Small organisms in soil and water produce cresols when they break down materials in the environment. Cresols are also a chemical component found in Sharpie Markers
Sharpie (marker)
Sharpie is a manufacturer of writing instruments whose products are sold in over 20 countries. Originally a name designating a single permanent marker, the Sharpie brand has been widely expanded and can now be found on a variety of previously unrelated permanent and non-permanent pens and markers...

.

Xylenol
Xylenol
Xylenol or dimethylphenol is an arene compound with two methyl groups and a hydroxyl group. 6 isomers exist of xylenol of which 2,6-xylenol with both methyl group in an ortho position with respect to the hydroxyl group is the most important...

s are dimethylphenols, or they can be thought of as methylcresols.

p-cresol is one of the very few compounds to attract the orchid bee
Euglossini
Euglossine bees, also called orchid bees, are the only group of corbiculate bees whose non-parasitic members do not all possess eusocial behavior. Most of the species are solitary, though a few are communal, or exhibit simple forms of eusociality...

 Euglossa
Euglossa
Euglossa is a genus of orchid bees . Like all their close relatives, they are native to the Neotropics; an introduced population exists in Florida. They are typically bright metallic blue, green, coppery, or golden....

 cyanura
, and has been used to capture and study the species.

Some types of insulin solution contain metacresol. "Each milliliter of Humalog injection contains ... 3.15mg Metacresol" Also, metacresol hydrophobic structure has been shown to interact with plastic and tubing used in drug administration products such as PVC IV bags and catheters. More research is being done to as how this interaction affects specific drug pharmacological profile at some research institutions in Colorado.

In chemistry, cresols can be used to synthesise toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...

. When cresol (o-, m-, p-) is distilled with zinc dust, toluene is obtained.

Commercial examples

p-cresol derivatives include:
  • Bupranolol
    Bupranolol
    Bupranolol is a non-selective beta blocker without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity , but with strong membrane stabilizing activity. Its potency is similar to propranolol.- Uses and dosage:...

    , non-selective beta blocker
  • Indo-1
    Indo-1
    Indo-1 is a popular calcium indicator similar to Fura-2. In contrast to Fura-2, Indo-1 has a dual emissions peak. The main emission peak in calcium-free solution is 475 nm while in the presence of calcium the emission is shifted to 400 nm...

    , popular calcium indicator
  • Butylated hydroxytoluene
    Butylated hydroxytoluene
    Butylated hydroxytoluene , also known as butylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound that is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as an antioxidant additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil, and embalming...

    , common antioxidant
    Antioxidant
    An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...



o-cresol derivatives include include Fluo-4
Fluo-4
Fluo-4 is used to measure calcium concentrations inside living cells, and is often used for high-throughput screening of receptor ligands and calcium permeable ion channels....

, a green-fluorescent calcium indicator and the herbicides:
  • MCPA
    MCPA
    MCPA or 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid is a powerful, selective, widely-used phenoxy herbicide. The pure compound is a brown-colored powder.-History:...

     (4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid
  • Mecoprop
    Mecoprop
    Mecoprop, or methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid , is a common general use herbicide found in many household weed killers and "weed-and-feed" type lawn fertilizers. It is primarily used to control broadleaf weeds...

     (RS)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propanoic acid
  • MCPB
    MCPB
    MCPB, 2,4-MCPB, 4-butyric acid , or 4-butanoic acid is a phenoxybutyric herbicide...

     4-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)butanoic acid
  • the amine
    Amine
    Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivatives of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such as an alkyl or aryl group. Important amines include amino acids, biogenic amines,...

     Atomoxetine, (3 R)-N-methyl-3-(2-methylphenoxy)-3-phenylpropan-1-amine
  • the diol
    Diol
    A diol or glycol is a chemical compound containing two hydroxyl groups A geminal diol has two hydroxyl groups bonded to the same atom...

     Mephenesin
    Mephenesin
    Mephenesin is a centrally acting muscle relaxant. It can be used as an antidote for strychnine poisoning....

     3-(2-methylphenoxy)propane-1,2-diol


m-cresol derivatives include the following:
  • Tolimidone
    Tolimidone
    Tolimidole is a compound which inhibits acid secretion in animal models and also acts as a bronchodilator in histamine-challenged animals.-References:...

    , 5-(3-methylphenoxy)pyrimidin-2(1H)-one
  • Bevantolol
    Bevantolol
    Bevantolol is a drug which acts as both a beta blocker and a calcium channel blocker....

    , (RS)-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl][2-hydroxy-3-(3-methylphenoxy)propyl]amine

Health effects

Most exposures to cresols are at very low levels that are not harmful. When cresols are breathed, ingested, or applied to the skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...

 at very high levels, they can be very harmful. Effects observed in people include irritation
Irritation
Irritation or exacerbation, in biology and physiology, is a state of inflammation or painful reaction to allergy or cell-lining damage. A stimulus or agent which induces the state of irritation is an irritant...

 and burning of skin, eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...

s, mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....

, and throat
Throat
In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...

; abdominal pain and vomiting; heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...

 damage; anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...

; liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

 and kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...

 damage; facial paralysis; coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...

; and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....

.

Breathing high levels of cresols for a short time results in irritation of the nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...

 and throat. Aside from these effects, very little is known about the effects of breathing cresols, for example, at lower levels over longer times.

Ingesting high levels results in kidney problems, mouth and throat burns, abdominal pain, vomiting, and effects on the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....

 and nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...

.

Skin contact with high levels of cresols can burn the skin and damage the kidneys, liver, blood, brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

, and lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...

s.

Short-term and long-term studies with animals have shown similar effects from exposure to cresols. No human or animal studies have shown harmful effects from cresols on reproduction.

It is not known what the effects are from long-term ingestion or skin contact with low levels of cresols.
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