Phenolwani fili ne na gama gari, wanda kuma aka sani da carbolic acid.Yana da kauri mara launi ko fari mai kauri tare da kamshi mai ban haushi.An fi amfani dashi a cikin samar da rini, pigments, adhesives, plasticizers, lubricants, disinfectants, da dai sauransu. Bugu da ƙari, yana da mahimmancin samfurin tsaka-tsaki a cikin masana'antar sinadarai.

A farkon karni na 20, an gano cewa phenol yana da guba mai karfi ga jikin dan adam, kuma a hankali amfani da shi wajen samar da magungunan kashe kwayoyin cuta da sauran kayayyaki an maye gurbinsu da wasu abubuwa.A cikin 1930s, an hana amfani da phenol a cikin kayan kwalliya da kayan bayan gida saboda tsananin guba da wari mai ban haushi.A cikin 1970s, an kuma dakatar da amfani da phenol a yawancin aikace-aikacen masana'antu saboda mummunar gurbatar muhalli da kuma haɗarin lafiyar ɗan adam.

A Amurka, ana sarrafa amfani da phenol a masana'antu sosai tun shekarun 1970.Hukumar Kare Muhalli ta Amurka (EPA) ta kafa jerin dokoki da ka'idoji don taƙaita amfani da fitar da phenol don kare lafiyar ɗan adam da muhalli.Misali, ƙa'idodin fitar da phenol a cikin ruwan sharar gida an ƙayyadadden ƙayyadaddun ƙayyadaddun ƙayyadaddun abubuwa, kuma an taƙaita amfani da phenol wajen samarwa.Bugu da kari, FDA (Hukumar Abinci da Magunguna) ta kuma kafa jerin ka'idoji don tabbatar da cewa abubuwan da ake kara abinci da kayan kwalliya ba su ƙunshi phenol ko abubuwan da suka samo asali ba.

A ƙarshe, ko da yake phenol yana da nau'o'in aikace-aikace a masana'antu da kuma rayuwar yau da kullum, gubarsa da wari mai ban sha'awa sun haifar da babbar illa ga lafiyar ɗan adam da muhalli.Don haka kasashe da dama sun dauki matakan takaita amfani da fitar da hayakin.A {asar Amirka, duk da cewa an tsaurara matakan sarrafa amfani da phenol a masana'antu, har yanzu ana amfani da shi sosai a asibitoci da sauran cibiyoyin kiwon lafiya a matsayin maganin kashe kwayoyin cuta da kuma sterilant.Duk da haka, saboda yawan gubarsa da haɗarin lafiyar jiki, ana ba da shawarar cewa mutane su guji haɗuwa da phenol gwargwadon yiwuwa.