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Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet liquid, commonly found in antifreeze. [1] It may be drunk accidentally or intentionally in a suicide attempt. [2] When broken down by the body it results in glycolic acid and oxalic acid which cause most of the toxicity.
Antifreeze is a poisonous substance [36] and is considered to be very dangerous to ingest. The main ingredient which makes it dangerous is ethylene glycol , which, when ingested, is metabolized in the liver into various intermediate substances, which then get turned into oxalic acid . [ 37 ]
Antifreeze products for automotive use containing propylene glycol in place of ethylene glycol are available. They are generally considered safer to use, as propylene glycol is not as palatable [note 1] and is converted in the body to lactic acid, a normal product of metabolism and exercise. [35]
An aerosol frostbite of the skin is an injury to the body caused by the pressurized gas within an aerosol spray cooling quickly, with the sudden drop in temperature sufficient to cause frostbite to the applied area. [1] Medical studies have noted an increase of this practice, known as "frosting", in pediatric and teenage patients. [2] [3]
The toxic dose is 0.14 mg/kg body weight and the lethal dose between 1.0 and 1.63 g/kg. [9] Some suggest that the LD 50 in adults is about 1 mL/kg, [3] while others suggest that that is the LD 30. [5] Because of its adverse effects, DEG is rarely allowed in foods and drugs. [10]
The 1985 Austrian diethylene glycol wine scandal (German: Glykolwein-Skandal) was an incident in which several Austrian wineries illegally adulterated their wines using the toxic substance diethylene glycol (a minor ingredient in some brands of antifreeze) to make the wines taste sweeter and more full-bodied in the style of late harvest wines. [1]
Hazardous wastes are wastes with properties that make them dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, contained gases, or sludges. They can be by-products of manufacturing processes or simply discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides.
Glycerol was historically used as an anti-freeze for automotive applications before being replaced by ethylene glycol, which has a lower freezing point. While the minimum freezing point of a glycerol-water mixture is higher than an ethylene glycol-water mixture, glycerol is not toxic and is being re-examined for use in automotive applications.