Resorcinol

Book excerpt: Resorcinol is a white crystalline compound which is soluble in water and has a low vapour pressure. It is mostly used in the rubber industry, as well as for high-quality wood bonding applications and in the manufacture of dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, agricultural chemicals, fungicidal creams and lotions, and hair dye formulations. It is released into the environment from a number of anthropogenic sources including production, processing and consumer uses, especially from hair dyes and pharmaceuticals, and localised high concentrations can appear in coal conversion wastewater or wastewater in regions with oil shale mining.