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InventoryRef 4029902/03/2011

INDOLE

Indole

INDOLE is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 120-72-9
CAS 120-72-9PubChem CID 798

Indole

1H-indole is an indole and a polycyclic heteroarene. It has a role as an Escherichia coli metabolite. It is a tautomer of a 3H-indole. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
1H-indole
Molecular formula
C8H7N
Molecular weight
117.15 g/mol
Exact mass
117.057849228 Da
XLogP3
2.1
Topological polar surface area
15.8 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
0
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

2,3-BenzopyrroleIndol1-Azaindene1-BenzazoleKetoleBenzopyrroleFEMA No. 25938724FJW4M5
16 more reported names
NSC-1964CHEBI:16881RefChem:5904CHEBI:22728CHEBI:35581Indole, 3-Benzopyrrole, 1-benzazole204-420-72,3-BenzopyroleCaswell No. 498BIndol [German]Indole (natural)1-Benzo(b)pyrrole1H-Benzo[b]pyrroleCCRIS 4421HSDB 599EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 025000
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Evidence from additional scientific databases

NIH PubChem PUG-View
Exact identifier match798

Attributed physical-property, hazard, environmental and use annotations.

  • Signal: Danger Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H302 (100%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H311 (99%): Toxic in contact with skin [Danger Acute toxicity, dermal]; H318 (11.6%): Causes serious eye damage [Danger Serious eye damage/eye irritation] Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Precautionary Statement Codes: P262, P264, P264+P265, P270, P280, P301+P317, P302+P352, P305+P354+P338, P316, P317, P321, P330, P361+P364, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • ECHA C&L Notifications Summary: Aggregated GHS information provided per 1996 reports by companies from 22 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.; Information may vary between notifications depending on impurities, additives, and other factors. The percentage value in parenthesis indicates the notified classification ratio from companies that provide hazard codes. Only hazard codes with percentage values above 10% are shown. For more detailed information, please visit ECHA C&L website. Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Signal: Danger Source: NITE-CMC
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H311: Toxic in contact with skin [Danger Acute toxicity, dermal]; H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation] Source: NITE-CMC
  • Precautionary Statement Codes: P262, P264, P264+P265, P270, P280, P301+P317, P302+P352, P305+P351+P338, P316, P321, P330, P337+P317, P361+P364, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: NITE-CMC
  • Environmental Bioconcentration: An estimated BCF value of 25 was calculated for indole(SRC), using a measured log Kow of 2.14(1) and a recommended regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this BCF value suggests that bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low(SRC). Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a recommended classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 350(SRC), determined from a measured log Kow(2) and a recommended regression-derived equation(3), and a measured Koc of 187 from a synthetic soil with 0-2% added humic acid(4), indicate that indole will have moderate mobility in soil(SRC). Volatilization of indole should not be important from moist soil surfaces(SRC) given an estimated Henry's Law constant of 5.3X10-7 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), calculated from experimental values for vapor pressure(5) and water solubility(6). Indole is expected to readily biodegrade under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in soil(SRC). Indole, added to Chernozem soil at 1 and 10 g/kg soil, was completely biodegraded in 19 and 135 days, respectively(7). Indole was completely biodegraded by suspensions of an organic soil (Carlisle muck) under methanogenic and denitrifying conditions within 67 and 144 days, respectively; oxindole was reported as a metabolite of this process(8). Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: AQUATIC FATE: Based on a recommended classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 350(SRC), determined from a measured log Kow(2) and a recommended regression-derived equation(1), and a measured Koc value of 187(3) indicate that indole may adsorb to suspended solids and sediment in water(SRC). Indole is not expected to volatilize from water surfaces(1,SRC) based on an estimated Henry's Law constant of 5.3X10-7 atm-cu m/mole(SRC), calculated from experimental values for vapor pressure(4) and water solubility(5). According to a classification scheme(6), an estimated BCF value of 25(1,SRC), from a measured log Kow(2), suggests that bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low(SRC). Indole is expected to readily biodegrade under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in water(SRC). At 10 °C, aerobic groundwater containing a mixture of aromatic compounds completely biodegraded indole in 310 hours, including an acclimation period of 130 hours(7). Complete metabolism of indole by methanogenic sediments from the shore, edge, and bottom of Buffalo Run stream, PA, occurred within 33 days; oxindole was formed during this process(8). Indole was completely biodegraded under denitrifying c Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), indole, which has a measured vapor pressure of 0.0122 mm Hg at 25 °C(2), will exist solely as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase indole is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals, nitrate radicals, and ozone(SRC); the half-lives for these reactions in air are estimated to be about 2 to 3 hours, < 1 minute, and 6 hours, respectively(3,SRC). Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Mapped by: Existing checksum-valid CAS to unique PubChem CID match. Retrieved: 2026-08-31. Open source record

Scientific classifications and hazard annotations provide context and do not replace the market-specific regulatory decision shown above.

Additional source coverage and match status
SourceResultChecked
NIH PubChem PUG-ViewExact match2026-08-31

A recorded no-match is useful evidence that the source was checked; it is not a claim that the substance does not exist elsewhere.

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for INDOLE

INCI name

INDOLE

Description

Indole

Record provenance

Inventory reference
40299
Imported identity
INDOLE
Source update
02/03/2011
European Commission CosIng source notes
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Key data

CAS
120-72-9
EC
204-420-7
Restriction
—
Function
PERFUMING
Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

ILLICIUM VERUM FRUIT OILPERFUMING
ILLICIUM VERUM FRUIT WATERFRAGRANCE, PERFUMING
IMIDAZOLIDINONEFRAGRANCE, PERFUMING
INDENEPERFUMING
INDOLYL-TRIMETHYLINDOLE-1-HEPTANOLPERFUMING
IONONEASTRINGENT, PERFUMING
IRIS FLORENTINA FLOWER WATERFLAVOURING, FRAGRANCE, PERFUMING, SKIN CONDITIONING
IRIS GERMANICA FLORENTINA ROOT EXTRACTPERFUMING

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicalsPubChem PUG RESTEU Safety Gate cosmetic product alertsECHA CHEMUS EPA CompToxCosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessmentsFDA Global Substance Registration SystemILO/WHO International Chemical Safety CardsJapan NITE-CHRIPNIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical HazardsOECD eChemPortal

How INDOLE appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists INDOLE as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

INDOLE is also tagged with 1 cosmetic function in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

INDOLE is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, INDOLE carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 120-72-9 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.
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Source note for INDOLE

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for INDOLE from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research INDOLE and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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