Where It Comes From
Made as a chemical intermediate (dyes, rubber chemicals, pharmaceuticals); released from manufacturing and waste sites; also formed in the atmosphere and found in urban air and rain [1].
How You Are Exposed
Breathing workplace or urban air; skin contact or inhalation at work; drinking contaminated water; contact with contaminated soil or dust near waste sites [1].
Why It Matters
Irritates eyes and skin; high exposure can cause headache, nausea, and methemoglobinemia (reduces blood oxygen delivery) and may harm liver and kidneys; cancer data are inadequate [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Workers who make or use it; people near industrial discharges or hazardous waste; children and people with heart, lung, or blood conditions (more sensitive to low oxygen) [1].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Follow workplace protections (ventilation, gloves, eye protection); check local air and water reports; avoid contact with water/soil near industrial outfalls; use indoor air filtration during smog episodes [1].
References
- [1]ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Nitrophenols (2-Nitrophenol and 4-Nitrophenol). U.S. DHHS/CDC, 1992; Update 2000.
- [2]U.S. EPA. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS): 2-Nitrophenol (CASRN 88-75-5). EPA.