Fluorene in your home: a safety profile

What is fluorene?

Also known as: 9H-Fluorene, Diphenylenemethane, o-Biphenylenemethane, 2,3-Benzindene.

CAS number

86-73-7

Molecular formula

C13H10

Molecular weight

166.22 g/mol

SMILES

C1C2=CC=CC=C2C3=CC=CC=C31

PubChem CID

6853

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Fluorene.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your home encounter fluorene

• Indoor Environments — cigarette smoke, combustion products
• Occupational Environments — coal tar, creosote

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Fluorene:

• N/A — exposure reduction
  Trade-offs: Exposure reduction does not eliminate the hazard but lowers risk to acceptable levels when alternatives are not available or practical. Requires ongoing monitoring and compliance.
  Relative cost: 1.2-2×
• Combustion source control
  Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
  Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions