Question

1% Phenol is used as
A. Disinfectant
B. Antiseptic
C. Antifertility drug
D. Artificial sweetener

Answer 1

Hint: Antifertility drugs and artificial sweeteners have no relation with phenol. These are the chemicals used in everyday life, disinfectants and antiseptics are used in cleansing work and artificial sweeteners as sweets and antifertility drugs as birth control pills. Write the compositions of disinfectants and antiseptics.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us discuss the composition of the following options one-by-one:
A. Disinfectant: Disinfectants are used to clean the floor, drainage systems. Phenols are the active ingredients in household disinfectants. It is also found in disinfectant soap and hand washes and in some mouthwashes. The concentration of phenol in disinfectants is 1% of phenol.
B. Antiseptic: Phenols are used in antiseptics as well as in disinfectants. In an antiseptic, concentration of phenol is around 0.2. The concentration of phenol used in antiseptic because phenol is an acid. So, it will cause skin problems as acids are harsh.
C. Antifertility drug: Antifertility drugs are chemical substances which control the action of hormones that promote birth giving or pregnancies. The examples of antifertility drugs are novestrol, also known as ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone. There is no involvement of phenol structure in these compounds.

D. Artificial sweetener: Artificial sweeteners are the sugar substitutes. These are the food additives that provide a sweet and sugary taste like that of sugars but containing less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners. Thus, it is known as zero-calorie or low-calorie sweetener. The few examples of artificial sweeteners are aspartame, sucralose and saccharin. There is no involvement of phenol structure in these compounds.


1% Phenol is used as Disinfectant, which is option ‘a’.


Note: Disinfectants not only contains phenol, but chlorine in the concentration around 0.2-0.4 ppm and sulphur dioxide $\left(\text{S}{\text{O}}_2\right)$ in very low concentrations.
Iodine is used as antiseptic and its 2-3% is used in alcohol-water mixture, which is known as tincture of iodine. The examples of antiseptics are bithionol and chloroxylenol.