phenanthrene

1 9.9

A colorless solid chemical made of three joined benzene rings found in coal tar

noun
/fɪˈnænθriːn/

Specialized

: fenantreno

Research indicates that phenanthrene may have health effects if humans are exposed to high levels.

Examples

Scientists have discovered that phenanthrene can accumulate in aquatic environments, posing risks to marine life.
In coal tar, phenanthrene is one of the primary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Nearly 100% of urinary samples collected through NHANES contain metabolites of naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene (Huang et al. 2006; Li et al. 2008).

Academic text (2014)

Surface Forms

phenanthrene singular

phenanthrenes plural

Etymology

Phenanthrene has two parts: the ending -anthrene comes from Greek anthrax meaning 'coal', because the compound was first found in coal tar, and the start phen- is the same beginning you see in phenol and phenyl, names for benzene-like groups. So, phenanthrene points to a coal-related chemical made of three joined rings, which fits its modern meaning as a three-ring hydrocarbon found in coal tar.