Phenolshine fili gama gari, wanda kuma aka sani da carbolic acid. Yana da launi mara launi ko farin luli mai ƙarfi tare da ƙanshi mai tsoratarwa. Ana amfani da shi akalla ne a cikin samar dyes, alamu, adhereves, fillishs, masu lalata, kayan maye ne, shi ne kuma mahimmin tsari ne a masana'antar ta sinadarai.

A farkon karni na 20, an sami phenol cewa yana da halaye masu guba ga jikin mutum, da kuma amfanin sa a cikin samar da maganin maye kuma wasu samfuran an maye gurbinsu da wasu abubuwa. A cikin 1930s, da amfani da phenol a cikin kayan kwaskwarima da kayan wanka ya haramtawa saboda tsananin guba da wari mai tsoratarwa. A cikin 1970s, ana haramta amfani da phenol a yawancin aikace-aikacen masana'antu saboda an hana su saboda babban gurbata muhalli da haɗarin lafiyar ɗan adam.

A Amurka, amfani da phenol a masana'antu an sarrafa shi sosai tun daga shekarun 1970s. Hukumar kare muhalli ta Amurka (EPA) ta kafa jerin dokoki da ka'idoji don ƙuntata amfani da kunnuwan phenol don kare lafiyar mutum da muhalli. Misali, ka'idodin ɓoye don phenol a cikin sharar ruwa an ƙuntata, kuma amfani da phenol a cikin matakan samarwa an ƙuntata. Bugu da kari, FDA (Gudanar da abinci da Magungunan Magunguna) ya kuma kafa jerin ka'idoji don tabbatar da cewa karin kayan abinci da kayan kwalliya baya dauke da phenol ko abubuwan da suka yi.

A ƙarshe, kodayake phenol yana da kewayon aikace-aikace da yawa a masana'antu da rayuwar yau da kullun, guba da ƙanshi da kamshin lafiyar ɗan adam da muhalli. Saboda haka, ƙasashe da yawa sun ɗauki matakan ƙuntata amfani da didishing. A Amurka, kodayake ana amfani da amfani da phenol a masana'antu da yawa, har yanzu ana amfani dashi sosai a asibitoci da sauran cibiyoyin kiwon lafiya a matsayin mai maye da kuma sterinant. Koyaya, saboda babban guba da haɗarin kiwon lafiya, ana bada shawara cewa mutane su guji hulɗa da phenol kamar yadda zai yiwu.