At a glance
| Chemical family | PAHs |
| CAS number | 85-01-8 |
| IARC classification | Group 3 (not classifiable) |
| Capture class | Moderate |
| Evidence strength | Strong |
| Primary audience | Firefighters · General population |
Regulatory & certification status
Where Phenanthrene stands across the major regulatory systems and the certifications a bedroom product might carry. Each row links to the governing instrument; where a jurisdiction has no specific measure, that is stated plainly rather than left blank.
| European Union | Phenanthrene (CAS 85-01-8) is a REACH Substance of Very High Concern, added to the Candidate List on 15 January 2019 (in the batch of six substances added that day) for very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) properties under Article 57(e). It is also one of the PAHs named in REACH Annex XVII entry 50a, introduced by Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/660: phenanthrene is among the 18 PAHs restricted in clay targets for shooting at a combined sum limit of 50 mg/kg (0.005% by weight of dry mass), applying from 22 April 2026. No harmonised CLP Annex VI classification was confirmed against the primary catalogue (supplier-listed aquatic hazards appear to be self-classification). Regulatory — ECHA |
| United States | Phenanthrene is on the TSCA Inventory and has an EPA IRIS file, but no specific TSCA risk-evaluation restriction was identified. It is NOT listed on California Proposition 65: a direct check of the current OEHHA Proposition 65 list (machine-readable file) returns no entry for phenanthrene or CAS 85-01-8, even though related PAHs such as anthracene (120-12-7), chrysene (218-01-9) and naphthalene (91-20-3) are individually listed. Regulatory — OEHHA |
| Canada | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are listed as a class on the CEPA Schedule 1 List of Toxic Substances; the Schedule 1 entry reads 'Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons' and does not name individual PAHs. That listing followed the final Priority Substances List (PSL1) assessment, which concluded PAHs are 'toxic' under CEPA and in which phenanthrene was one of the PAHs assessed — so phenanthrene falls within the Schedule 1 PAH grouping (final, not draft). Regulatory — Government of Canada |
| Australia | No specific AICIS assessment, IChEMS listing, or industrial-chemical restriction was identified for phenanthrene as an individual substance; as an existing chemical it would appear on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals, but inventory presence is not a restriction. Regulatory — AICIS |
| United Kingdom | Phenanthrene carries over into UK REACH the EU SVHC position (vPvB-based Candidate List inclusion) inherited at the end of the Brexit transition. No separate GB-specific SVHC prioritisation, GB CLP harmonised classification, or distinct UK restriction was confirmed against an HSE primary source. Regulatory — HSE |
| International | IARC classifies phenanthrene in Group 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans), per IARC Monographs Volume 32 (1983). It is not listed as a persistent organic pollutant under the Stockholm Convention, and no other global treaty determination was identified. Regulatory — IARC Monographs (via INCHE · Stockholm Convention |
| Certifications | CertiPUR-US: foam certification that tests for and limits some specific PAHs but does not single out phenanthrene; it is not an explicitly named prohibited substance in the published program description. OEKO-TEX Standard 100: restricts PAHs in textiles with a sum limit (16-PAH total of 10 mg/kg, lower for baby/toddler class I) plus individual limits; the PAH list it screens (the EPA/AfPS GS PAH panel) includes phenanthrene, so its content is covered as part of the group rather than by a phenanthrene-specific limit. GREENGUARD/GREENGUARD Gold: low-VOC emissions certifications that screen for total VOCs/aldehydes rather than for individual semi-volatile PAHs like phenanthrene. Industry — OEKO-TEX · CertiPUR-US |
| The 72-hour test window | Mostly missed. Phenanthrene is a semi-volatile PAH (vapour pressure far below that of typical indoor VOCs) that partitions onto dust and surfaces rather than freely off-gassing, so a short ~72-hour VOC chamber test does not reliably capture it; PAHs require dedicated SVOC/dust sampling and GC-MS analysis. Inferred — from the compound's volatility/emission profile versus the VOC focus of short chamber tests |
What it is
Phenanthrene — CAS 85-01-8 — is a three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Structurally, it consists of three benzene rings fused in an angular configuration, distinguishing it from its linear isomer anthracene. Phenanthrene is one of the most abundant PAHs in environmental samples — frequently detected in indoor air, house dust, vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, and combustion byproducts.
Why it's relevant to the Atlas
Phenanthrene appears in motor vehicle exhaust, residential heating exhaust, tobacco smoke, wood smoke, cooking emissions, asphalt, creosote-treated wood, and as a byproduct of incomplete combustion in general. In bedrooms specifically, it appears in house dust at routinely measurable concentrations. Peer-reviewed — multiple house dust surveys IARC classifies phenanthrene as Group 3. Peer-reviewed — IARC Monograph 92
Why it matters for sleep environments
Phenanthrene's importance in the Atlas is primarily indicator-based: its consistent detection in indoor environments signals broader PAH contamination, which typically includes more hazardous PAHs (benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene) at lower concentrations. Phenanthrene also has documented developmental and reproductive effects in animal studies and is considered an endocrine disruptor at sufficient exposure levels. The compound provides a quantitative indicator of total PAH burden in a sleep environment — particularly relevant for firefighter households and homes with significant combustion-source exposure.
Related compounds
This is a preview of an Atlas entry under development. Last reviewed 2026-05-19. If you find a factual error, contact us.