Catechol can cause cancer according to The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Definition
Catechol can cause cancer according to The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII LF3AJ089DQ · registered name Pyrocatechol · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
- Banned
- Argentina · ASEAN · Brazil · Canada · China · European Union · South Korea · Taiwan · United Kingdom
Source: ASEAN Cosmetic Directive · EU Cosmetics Regulation · Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist · MFDS (Korea) cosmetic regulatory information · Taiwan FDA cosmetic ingredients · UK cosmetics regulations (OPSS)
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex II (prohibited substances), entry 408
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist · prohibited in cosmetics
Restriction II/408 · Other restriction: ban substances that deplete the ozone layer
Source: EU CosIng ingredient list
Reviewed by CIR: Amendment to the Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Pyrocatechol
Reviewed by CIR: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Hydroquinone and Pyrocatechol (Pyrocatechol has been Amended. IJT 16(S1) 11-58 1997.) (Hydroquinone has an Addendum. JACT 13(3) 167-230 1994.)
CIR reviewed this ingredient and flagged its status as: CIR insufficient data ingredients - use not supported (insufficient data or use not supported — CIR's own classification, not a full safety-as-used conclusion).
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 120-80-9
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID3020257
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID30257
- IUPAC
- Benzene-1,2-diol
- Molecular formula
- C6H6O2
- Molecular weight
- 110.112 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- Solid, white, odorless. Sinks and mixes with water. (USCG, 1999) · Large Crystals, Other Solid
- Odour
- Faint characteristic odor · Phenolic odor
- Boiling point
- 473 °F at 760 mmHg (sublimes) (NTP, 1992) · 245 °C
- Melting point
- 221 °F (NTP, 1992) · 105 °C
- Solubility
- greater than or equal to 100 mg/mL at 70.7 °F (NTP, 1992) · 461000 mg/L (at 25 °C)
- Density
- 1.344 at 68 °F (USCG, 1999) - Denser than water, will sink · 1.344
- Melting/freezing point
- 105 ℃
- Initial boiling point and range
- 245.5 ℃
- Flash point
- 127 ℃
- Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
- - / 1.97 %
- Vapour pressure
- 3 ㎩(20℃)
- Water solubility
- 43 g/100㎖
- Vapour density
- 3.8
- Relative density
- 1.3 (water = 1)
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 0.88
- Auto-ignition temperature
- 510 ℃
- Molecular weight
- 110.1
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: PubChem · KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 12 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Dye3
- Intermediate3
- Adhesion/cohesion promoter1
- Cleaning agent1
- Monomers1
- Binder1
- Flavouring and nutrient1
- Processing aids not otherwise specified1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
6 skin studies and 5 eye studies are on record.
The study conclusions largely agree (100%). These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 11 studies
- Category 6.3A (Category 2)
Skin Irritation · Read Across - Skin Irrit. 2
Skin Irritation · Authoritative - Skin sensitisation - category 1
Skin Sensitization · Screening - Severe Irritation
skin irritation: in vivo · Screening · other guideline: Draize test according to - Category 2
Skin Irritation · Screening - Category 1
Skin Sensitization · Screening - Category 6.4A (Category 2A)
Eye Irritation · Read Across - Eye Irrit. 2
Eye Irritation · Authoritative - Eye irritation - category 2A
Eye Irritation · Screening - Severe Irritation
eye irritation: in vivo · Screening · other guideline: Draize test equivalent or similar to - Category 1
Eye Irritation · Screening
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Molecular Docking and Efficacy of Aloe vera Gel Based on Chitosan Nanoparticles against Helicobacter pylori and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities · 2022
- Flow Injection Sensing Strategy for Determining Cationic Surfactants in Commodity and Water Samples · 2022
- Antioxidant properties of phenolic surrogates of lignin depolymerisation · 2019
- Occupational contact dermatitis from pyrocatechol in parquet flooring · 2012
- Theraputic effect study of Nianmokang emulsion · 2002
Linked databases 25
- ASEAN Cosmetic Directive
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- EU Cosmetics Regulation
- EU prohibited substances (Annex II)
- Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
- IARC carcinogen classification
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic regulatory information 2 3
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem 2
- Taiwan FDA cosmetic ingredients
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UK cosmetics regulations (OPSS)
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) 2 3 4
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
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