Phenolphthalein Safety Guide
What is Phenolphthalein? Phenolphthalein is a phenol, a type of organic compound. Phenolphthalein is often used as a pH indicator, as it turns from clear to bright pink when in the presence of a pH between 8.3 to 10. This makes it useful for detecting strong bases. Phenolphthalein has the CAS Number 77-09-8. Notable Properties of Phenolphthalein Pure phenolphthalein is a solid, crystalline substance that is white to pale orange in color. It is soluble in both water and alcohol. Many commercially available premade indicator solutions are dissolved in ethanol. What Makes Phenolphthalein Hazardous? Phenolphthalein is classified as Group 2B by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This means that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans based on current research, including animal studies. There are also concerns about phenolphthalein having reproductive toxicity and causing germ cell mutagenicity. There are studies at the National Toxico...