Some facts about methanol poisoning

Methanol is actually the simplest form of alcohol. You might think, can I drink methanol? No, you should definitely avoid it. In recent years, a large number of deaths around the world have been related to home brewed alcohol containing this chemical. According to a scientific article published in 2016, the pollution rate of traditional fermented alcoholic beverages is on the rise worldwide, and people are dying from drinking these seemingly safe beverages.

Why would methanol kill you?

It is not always fatal, but it must be because the body eventually converts it into formic acid (also found in ant venom). Formic acid metabolism is slow and will accumulate in the body. This can cause many unnecessary symptoms. The most terrible ones include blindness and even death.

Why are homemade or traditional fermented alcoholic beverages so problematic? According to ABC Health and Happiness Channel:

Commercially produced spirits are very safe because manufacturers use specially designed technologies to ensure the separation of methanol and ethanol. However, the domestic brewing system is usually not so advanced in technology, which makes separation more difficult.

According to the data of the National Institutes of Health, for children, only two tablespoons (30 ml) of lead will be fatal, while for adults, about 2 to 8 ounces (60 to 240 ml) of lead will be fatal. At these levels, "blindness is common and often permanent, despite medical care."

What is methanol?

The molecular formula of methanol is CH ｜ OH, the molar mass of methanol is 32.04 g/mol, and the density is 792 kg/m ³。 The melting point of methanol is - 143.7 degrees Fahrenheit (- 97.6 degrees Celsius), and the boiling point of methanol is 148.5 degrees Fahrenheit (64.7 degrees Celsius). Unless you really like chemistry, this may not tell you too much.

What on earth is that? The structure of methanol (CH3OH) tells you that it is four parts hydrogen, one part oxygen and one part carbon. Also known as methanol, it is a colorless liquid that is considered toxic, volatile and flammable. It actually has a strange ability to burn without color and smoke, so methanol fire is basically invisible in the daytime.

How to make methanol?

It can use natural gas or coal to produce pure methanol through conversion and distillation process.

Can you smell methanol?

It itself has a smell similar to ethanol. If you compare methanol and ethanol, both are by-products of fermentation (including the manufacture of alcoholic beverages), but unlike ethanol, methanol is generally considered toxic to human consumption.

It is also natural that a small amount of it exists in the organism as part of the normal metabolic process. For example, this chemical naturally exists in vegetables and fruits, wood, volcanic gases and decaying vegetation. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juice, fermented beverages and sugar free soft drinks containing aspartame are the main sources of methanol for the human body."

Because it is an artificial chemical, you can find it in the air, car exhaust, paint and solvent smoke, and the result of burning waste. It is sometimes found in polluted waterways and cigarette smoke.

use

You may have heard of the water methanol injection kit, which was originally used in World War II to improve the power output and life of the fighter.

If you are unfamiliar with the various uses of methanol, this chemical is mainly used to make fuels, antifreeze and solvents. Common products include gasoline, antifreeze, pesticide, cleaning products, ink, paint and paint thinner. It is also used to make other chemicals, such as formaldehyde and acetic acid.

Why is methanol bad?

When it is man-made or occurs naturally at a dangerous level, it can be bad.

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