creosote

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creosote

creosote , volatile, heavy, oily liquid obtained by the distillation of coal tar or wood tar. Creosote derived from beechwood tar has been used medicinally as an antiseptic and in the treatment of chronic bronchitis. Creosote obtained from coal tar is poisonous. It is used chiefly as a preservative for wood, e.g., in fence posts, railroad ties, and telephone poles, in which it provides protection against fungi, shipworms, and termites, and is also used as a pesticide and to treat psoriasis. Creosote is considered to be highly toxic and a likely carcinogen. It can leach out into the surrounding soil and groundwater, and the fumes exuded will kill young plants in close proximity.

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creosote

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

creosote XIX. — G. kreosote, f. Gr. kreo-, kreō-, comb. form of kréas flesh + sōtḗr saviour, sōtēríā safety, with ref. to the antiseptic properties.

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T. F. HOAD. "creosote." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (December 1, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-creosote.html

T. F. HOAD. "creosote." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved December 01, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-creosote.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and coal tar creosote exposure in a railroad worker.(Environmental Medicine / Case Report) Magazine article from: Environmental Health Perspectives; 1/1/2005
	Wood Tar, Tar Oils, Creosote: Trends and Prospects in International Trade is Highlighted by 150 Tables and Diagrams. Business Wire; 10/28/2008
	EPA will not fund equipment needed to test creosote vapors.(Environment) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 6/8/2004

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