These properties, together with its low toxicity, are exploited by the use of DBF as a heat transfer agent.

[2] Dibenzofuran is the precursor to the drug furobufen by Friedel-Crafts reaction with succinic anhydride.

Dibenzofuran is a relatively non-toxic compound as evidenced by rats being unaffected after a 200-day diet consisting of 0.025 – 0.4% of DBF.

The Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act (SARA) Section 110 placed dibenzofuran on the revised Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) priority list of hazardous substances to be the subject of a toxicological profile.

The listing was based on the substance's frequency of occurrence at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List sites, its toxicity, and/or its potential for human exposure.