PHENANTHRENE | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Lapse in Appropriations

For workplace safety and health, please call 800-321-6742; for mine safety and health, please call 800-746-1553; for Job Corps, please call 800-733-5627 and for Wage and Hour, please call 866-487-9243 (866-4-US-WAGE).  This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was 10/1/2025.  Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations.

PHENANTHRENE†

Chemical Identification
CAS #	85-01-8
Formula	C₁₄H₁₀
Synonyms	coal tar pitch volatiles; phenanthrin

Physical Properties
Physical description	Colorless monoclinic crystals with a faint aromatic odor. Solutions exhibit a blue fluorescence.
Boiling point	642°F	Molecular weight	178.24
Freezing point/melting point	212°F	Vapor pressure	depends upon the specific compound
Flash point	340°F	Vapor density	6.14
Specific gravity	1.025	Ionization potential
Lower explosive limit (LEL)		Upper explosive limit (UEL)
NFPA health rating	1	NFPA fire rating	0
NFPA reactivity rating	0	NFPA special instruction
Vapor hazard ratio (VHR)
Historical exceedance percentage
Target organs

Monitoring Methods Used by OSHA
Analyte code (IMIS no.)	2038
Sampling group
Sampler/Sampling media	Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles (CTPV) Sampling Filters and Cassette [SLTC109]
Sampling time^*	480 min
Sampling volume (TWA)^*	960 L
Sampling flow rate (TWA)^*	2 L/min
Sampling volume (STEL/Peak/C)^*
Sampling flow rate (STEL/Peak/C)^*
Analytical method instruments	HPLC
Method reference	OSHA 58 (fully validated in conjunction with Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles and Coke Oven Emissions)
Notes	After sampling, filter must be transferred to a glass vial with a Teflon-lined cap. Sample must be protected from direct sunlight.
Special requirements	These media are prepared by SLTC as needed and are not available for immediate shipment. Please allow time for SLTC to prepare these media prior to sampling.

^* All sampling instructions above are recommended guidelines for OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs), please see the corresponding OSHA method reference for complete details.

Bulk/Wipe Method
Wipe Sampler/Sampling media
Bulk Method

On-Site Screening Techniques
Device
Model/Type
Sampling information (see manufacturer instructions)

**Exposure Limits**
OSHA PEL 8-hour TWA (ST) STEL (C) Ceiling Peak		NIOSH REL Up to 10-hour TWA (ST) STEL (C) Ceiling		ACGIH TLV© 8-hour TWA (ST) STEL (C) Ceiling		CAL/OSHA PEL 8-hour TWA (ST) STEL (C) Ceiling Peak
PEL-TWA	0.2 mg/m³ as Coal tar pitch volatiles (benzene soluble fraction)	REL-TWA	0.1 mg/m³ (cyclohexane-extractable fraction)	TLV-TWA	0.2 mg/m³ (benzene-soluble aerosol) [1984]	PEL-TWA	0.2 mg/m³
PEL-STEL		REL-STEL		TLV-STEL		PEL-STEL
PEL-C		REL-C		TLV-C		PEL-C
Skin notation	N	Skin notation	N	Skin notation	N	Skin notation	N
Notes: See 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1.		Notes: CARCINOGEN (Ca): REDUCE EXPOSURE TO LOWEST FEASIBLE CONCENTRATION. See Appendix A, NIOSH Potential Occupational Carcinogens. See also Appendix C, Supplementary Exposure Limits.		Notes: BEI®		Notes: As Coal tar pitch volatiles, see footnote [i].
Health factors: See NIH-NLM PubChem.		IDLH
Carcinogenic classifications: IARC-3, EPA-D, TLV-A1, NIOSH-Ca		Notes:
AIHA emergency response planning guidelines - ERPG-1/ERPG-2/ERPG-3:

Additional Resources and Literature References

NOAA: CAMEO Chemicals - Phenanthrene

NIOSH: Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards - Coal tar pitch volatiles

Literature References

ACGIH: Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs) - Coal tar pitch volatiles [65996-93-2], as benzene soluble aerosol. See annual publication for most recent information.
U.S. EPA Integrated Risk Information System. Phenanthrene (CASRN 85-01-8).
Campo, L., et al. Biological monitoring of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by determination of unmetabolized compounds in urine. Toxicol. Lett. 162(2-3): 132-138, 2006.
Elovaara, E., Mikkola, J., Makela, M., Paldanious, B. and Priha, E. Assessment of soil remediation workers' exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH): biomonitoring of naphthols, phenanthrols, and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine. Toxicol. Lett. 162(2-3): 158-163, 2006.
Hecht, S.S., Chen, M., Yagi, H., Jerina, D.M. and Carmella, S.G. r-1,t-2,3,c-4-Tetrahydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene in human urine: a potential biomarker for assessing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolic activation. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 12(12): 1501-1508, 2003.
Jacob, J. and Seidel, A. Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in human urine. J. Chromatogr. B. Analyt. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. 778(1-2): 31-47, 2002.
Pohanish, R.P. (editor) Phenanthrene. In, Sittig's Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, Fourth Ed., Vol. 2. Norwich, NY: Noyes Publications, William Andrew Publishing, 2002, pp. 1817-1818.
Popp, W., et al. DNA single strand breakage, DNA adducts, and sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes and phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites in urine of coke oven workers. Occup. Environ. Med. 54(3): 176-183, 1997.
Rihs, H.P., et al. Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in German industries: association between exogenous exposure and urinary metabolites and its modulation by enzyme polymorphisms. Toxicol. Lett. 157(3): 241-255, 2005.

Last Updated Date : 01/29/2021

Lapse in Appropriations

PHENANTHRENE†

Chemical Identification

Physical Properties

Monitoring Methods Used by OSHA

Bulk/Wipe Method

On-Site Screening Techniques

Exposure Limits

Additional Resources and Literature References