Ethylene glycol

 What is ethylen glycol?

It is a sweet but poisonous syrupy liquid.

Ethylene glycol chemical structure

What is ethylene glycol used for?

Ethylene glycol is used as an antifreeze and solvent. It is commonly found in cooling and heating systems, in hydraulic brake fluids, as an industrial humectant, as an ingredient of electrolytic condensers, as a solvent in the paint and plastics industries, in the formulations of printers' inks, stamp pad inks, and inks for ballpoint pens, as a softening agent for cellophane, and in the synthesis of safety explosives, plasticizers, synthetic fibers (Terylene, Dacron), and synthetic waxes.

De-icing agent

Ethylene glycol is also used to de-ice airport runways and aircraft.

Chemical exposure

Sources and potential exposure of skin or inhalation exposure to workers may occur during the manufacture or use of the chemical.

Discharge in to wastewater

Ethylene glycol may be discharged into wastewater from its production and use.  It may also enter the environment from its uses in deicing airplane runways and from spills and improper disposal of used antifreeze, coolant, and solvents containing ethylene glycol.

Detecting exposure

Assessing personal exposure urinalysis for oxalic acid, an ethylene glycol metabolite, may be useful in diagnosis of poisoning by oral exposure.

Health Hazard Information

Ethylene glycole exposure can have acute and chronic effects.

Acute ethylene glycol exposure

Acute exposure of humans to ethylene glycol by ingesting large quantities causes three stages of health effects.  CNS depression, including such symptoms as vomiting, drowsiness, coma, respiratory failure, convulsions, metabolic changes, and gastrointestinal upset are followed by cardiopulmonary effects and later renal damage.

Chronic effects of ethylene glyclol

Chronic Effects (Noncancer): The only effects were noted in a study of individuals exposed to low levels of ethylene glycol by inhalation for about a month were throat and upper respiratory tract irritation.

Effect on reproductive system

No information is available on the reproductive or developmental effects of ethylene glycol in humans. Several studies of rodents exposed orally or by inhalation showed ethylene glycol to affect animal fetuses.

Cancer Risk

An epidemiologic study on renal cancer mortality did not find an increased risk for workers exposed to ethylene glycol.

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