Is Anthracene safe for babies and kids?
Moderate risk for kidsNot medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →
Infants are more vulnerable to Anthracene than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.
What is anthracene?
Also known as: Paranaphthalene, Anthracin, Tetra Olive N2G, Anthracen.
- IUPAC name
- anthracene
- CAS number
- 120-12-7
- Molecular formula
- C14H10
- Molecular weight
- 178.23 g/mol
- SMILES
- C1=CC=C2C=C3C=CC=CC3=CC2=C1
- PubChem CID
- 8418
Risk for babies
Moderate riskInfants are more vulnerable to Anthracene than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.
Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.
Risk for pregnant and nursing people
Context-dependentPregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Anthracene, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.
No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.
Regulatory consensus
5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Anthracene. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 2024 | Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Monographs Volume 133, 2024) — Anthracene (CAS 120-12-7; paranaphthalene; green oil) was RE-EVALUATED in Volume 133 (evaluation year 2023, published online 2024) and upgraded from the Volume 92 (2010) Group 3. Anthracene is a 3-ring PAH (C14H10; MW 178.23) consisting of three linearly fused benzene rings; its linear, fully conjugated ring system lacks the bay-region or fjord-region geometry required for efficient metabolic activation to a carcinogenic diol epoxide, which is the basis on which it was long regarded as non-carcinogenic. Anthracene is one of the 16 US EPA priority PAH pollutants; it is also listed under the EU Water Framework Directive as a priority substance with a freshwater environmental quality standard (EQS) of 0.1 µg/L annual average (AA) — less stringent than the EQS for the carcinogenic PAHs (0.0001 µg/L), a limit set before the Volume 133 re-evaluation. Anthracene also exhibits significant phototoxicity to aquatic organisms under UV irradiation, its principal ecological hazard. | |
| EPA CTX / IRIS | — | D (Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity) | |
| EPA CTX / IARC | 2024 | Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Monographs Volume 133, 2024) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 4 positive / 19 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 4 positive / 19 negative reports) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where kids encounter anthracene
- Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
- Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Anthracene:
-
Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.Relative cost: 1.2-2×
Frequently asked questions
Is anthracene safe for kids?
Infants are more vulnerable to Anthracene than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.
What products contain anthracene?
Anthracene appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).
What should I do if my child is exposed to anthracene?
Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.
Why do regulators disagree about anthracene?
Anthracene has been classified by 5 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / IRIS, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Anthracene in the baby app
Look up products containing anthracene, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in baby View raw API dataSources (2)
- Anthracene (CAS 120-12-7, C14H10) — physicochemical, metabolic and ecotoxicological reference data (2010) — regulatory
- IARC Monographs Volume 133 — Anthracene, 2-bromopropane, butyl methacrylate, and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite (2024) — iarc
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, pediatric, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →