SHEET /vs/benzene-vs-toluene · COMPARISON
Benzene vs Toluene: what is the difference?
How they differ
Toluene is benzene with a methyl group attached, C7H8 against C6H6, and that single group changes the hazard picture completely. Benzene is a known human carcinogen that damages bone marrow and causes leukaemia, and its use in consumer products is tightly restricted for that reason. Toluene is not classified as a carcinogen, because the body can oxidise that methyl group and excrete the result, a route benzene has no equivalent of. Toluene is still a neurotoxin on repeated inhalation, which is what makes solvent abuse dangerous, and it is the smell of paint thinner and permanent marker. Reported oral LD50 values are 3306 mg/kg in rats for benzene and 5000 mg/kg for toluene, which understates how differently the two behave over long exposure.
Side by side
| Benzene | Toluene | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C6H6 | C7H8 |
| Molecular weight | 78.11 g/mol | 92.14 g/mol |
| Family | Aromatic hydrocarbons | Aromatic hydrocarbons |
| Everyday group | Everyday chemistry | Everyday chemistry |
| Functional groups | Aromatics | Aromatics |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Danger |
| Oral LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 3,306 mg/kg (oral, rat) | 5,000 mg/kg (oral, rat) |
| CAS number | 71-43-2 | 108-88-3 |
| PubChem CID | 241 | 1140 |
Common questions
- What is the difference between Benzene and Toluene?
- Toluene is benzene with a methyl group attached, C7H8 against C6H6, and that single group changes the hazard picture completely. Benzene is a known human carcinogen that damages bone marrow and causes leukaemia, and its use in consumer products is tightly restricted for that reason. Toluene is not classified as a carcinogen, because the body can oxidise that methyl group and excrete the result, a route benzene has no equivalent of.
- Is Benzene bigger than Toluene?
- Toluene is the heavier molecule, 92.14 g/mol against 78.11 g/mol for Benzene. Benzene is C6H6 and Toluene is C7H8.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Benzene or Toluene?
- Benzene, at 3,306 mg/kg (oral, rat), against 5,000 mg/kg (oral, rat) for Toluene. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.