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creosote
(redirected from creosotes)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
creosote
[krē′əsōt]
a flammable oily liquid with a smoky odor that is used primarily as a wood preservative. It can cause a wide variety of health problems, ranging from cancer and corneal damage to convulsions, dermatitis, and vertigo. Persons who work with treated wood are usually at the greatest risk of exposure. See also phenol poisoning.

creosote [kre´o-sōt]
a mixture of phenols from wood tar, formerly used as an expectorant and external antiseptic and now mainly used as a wood preservative. A mixture of the carbonates of various constituents of creosote (creosote carbonate) is used as an expectorant and antiseptic.

creosote (krēˑ· sōt),
n a colorless to yellowish, oily liquid obtained by distilling wood tar, particularly
Fagus sylvatica; used as wood preservative; harmful to animals because they may develop skin irritation by chewing on wood treated with creosote.

creosote
a mixture of phenols from wood tar; used externally as an antiseptic and internally in chronic bronchitis as an expectorant. A mixture of the carbonates of various constituents of creosote (creosote carbonate) is used the same as the base.

creosote-treated timber
treating timber with creosote is a common method of preservation. Use of the timber for housing while it is still wet may cause poisoning especially in young pigs. There may be local burning of the skin, oral, esophageal and gastric erosion, or degeneration of parenchymatous organs.


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Diagnosticians have determined that irritation of the respiratory tract has been caused by breathing the vapors of any of the creosotes listed above.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that there is "sufficient" evidence for coal tar pitch (IARC 1998a) to be considered carcinogenic in humans, but that creosotes (IARC 1998b) have only "limited evidence" for human carcinogenicity, despite demonstrating "sufficient" evidence to establish carcinogenicity in animals.
 
 
 
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