Methanol: action on the human body by inhalation, first aid

Methanol and ethyl alcohol poisoning are the cause of disability and death. Usually this happens to people who are used to using surrogates of alcohol and do not notice the difference between them. Of course, no one can be immune from low-quality products sold in stores, so you need to know how to recognize the poisoning and what to do in this case.

Physical properties

Methanol is a colorless liquid with the smell of alcohol, readily soluble in water. Can be mixed with organic solvents such as benzene, acetone, other alcohols. When in contact with air, the mixture becomes explosive, enough sixteen degrees Celsius, to ignite. The lethal dose for a person is 100 milliliters.

Production

On an industrial scale, methanol can be produced in several ways. For the first time the substance began to be obtained after dry distillation of wood in combination with lignin, then the technology of obtaining alcohol was obtained by decomposition of salts of formic acid under the influence of high temperatures. When this became unprofitable, it was decided to synthesize methanol from methane by incomplete oxidation. Now, carbon dioxide and hydrogen are used for this purpose with the addition of a copper-zinc catalyst.

Recycling

Methanol production products are highly polluting. The water used for its purification and distillation is so saturated with harmful substances that even after repeated filtering, sedimentation and chemical purification, it still remains unsuitable for drinking. Therefore, to date, there is a development of methanol production technologies with a closed loop. And this means that the water will be reused and not fused, like biological or chemical waste. Given the problem of fresh water on Earth, this method would help save valuable natural resources.

Using

On an industrial scale, methanol is used as a solvent for varnishes and paints, as raw materials for subsequent chemical production, as a substrate for medicines. It is included in the antifreeze liquid. Most of the methanol used in the production of formaldehyde and as an additive to gasoline, in addition, it is added to the fuel for racing cars and motorcycles.

Many perfume companies use methanol in the production of perfume for a more persistent flavor, but in the CIS this is prohibited by the consumer rights law. In addition, in the extraction of gas and petroleum products, methanol is also used. It affects the salts deposited on the walls of the distillation tubes, thus preserving their throughput.

Metabolism

Typical symptoms of intoxication can be noticed already an hour after taking the substance, but in some people the symptoms may not manifest themselves until a day and a half. It is quickly absorbed in the stomach, but is metabolized slowly enough, therefore it is excreted from the body within a week. If the intervals between receptions are small, then the poison can accumulate. More than 70% of the substance is excreted during respiration, while the toxins practically do not decompose. The remaining 30% after neutralization in the liver leave the body along with urine.

The action of methanol and ethanol on the human body is the violation of oxidation-reduction processes, provoking hypoxia and acidosis. This, in turn, leads to a deficiency of vitamins C and B1 and the growth of intoxication. These alcohols belong to the category of neurovascular and protoplasmic poisons.

Influence on vision

As with inhalation, that and when taken orally, the action of methanol on vision remains fatal. The defeat of the optic nerve and retina is observed both in cases of acute intoxication, and in chronic poisoning. Pathophysiologists believe that this is due to the products of methanol metabolism. They interfere with adequate oxidative phosphorylation in the retina and inhibit the oxygen-free formation of glucose. A lack of nutrients is harmful to the organ of vision. In addition, methanol vapor irritates the mucous membranes, which leads to inflammation, swelling and pain.

Inhalation of fumes

Poisonous formaldehyde fumes rarely contain pure methanol. Action on the human body by inhalation occurs in two stages. Initially, the reaction of local irritation of mucous membranes occurs, and after absorption into the bloodstream - systemic poisoning of the body. Clinical symptoms are as follows. The victim complains of dizziness, nausea, a fog before his eyes due to severe intoxication. In addition, sharply reduced visual acuity, there are pains in the right hypochondrium. Such poisoning is more often chronic than acute, because due to a strong irritation of the upper respiratory tract a person avoids contact with methanol.

Intravenous use

The harmful effect of methanol on the body is often manifested when using denatured alcohol and other chemicals. For a person, even ten milliliters of this "drink" is a danger, and a dose of thirty ml can be fatal. Nevertheless, the same person can react differently to methanol if he consumes it continuously or at long intervals. Usually people have cyanosis (blueing), deep and rare breathing, cramps are possible. The pulse is rapid, the pupils do not respond to light. Most often death occurs because of the cessation of breathing. If a person is conscious, he complains of pain in the stomach, flickering of flies before his eyes, problems with vision. Even if the patient managed to survive in such a situation, then violations in the liver will be irreversible.

Chronic Poisoning

With it, there is a decrease in color vision, retinal atrophy, edema and death of the optic nerve, inhibited reaction of pupils to a light stimulus. A person quickly gets tired, experiences headaches in the second half of the working day, there is excessive irritability, tearfulness, emotional lability. If inhaled or drunk substances contain practically no methanol, the effect on the human body will be less noticeable. It will appear as an increase in noise in the ears, frequent catarrhal diseases, cough for no apparent reason, headache, and visual impairment.

The effect of methanol on the skin has not been studied enough. Usually this happens simultaneously with the inhalation of fumes, so that systemic manifestations prevail over the local ones. But there is a case where the painter spilled the solvent on his clothes and shoes. Instead of changing clothes, the man continued to work. A few days after this incident, he went blind.

First aid

First of all, we need to remove methanol. Action on the human body (first aid is given the pathogenesis of poisoning, so that you can pick up an antidote) is to poison the products of metabolism. Hence, it is necessary for a person who provides medical care to delay or prevent the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde. To do this, rinse the stomach if the victim is taken to the hospital within the first two hours. Plus, intravenous infusion of 5% of drinking soda (1 liter) is shown, and after washing it is necessary to drink a solution (2-4 liters). To maintain the required level of nutrition of the optic nerve and brain, 500 ml of 5% glucose is injected subcutaneously. After emergency measures every half hour, you need to drink a solution containing 5 g of soda. In addition, intravenous sodium lactate solution up to 4 liters a day is shown.

All these activities are conducted with an hourly control of the acid-base state of the blood, the level of bicarbonates and the acidity of urine. It is also necessary to monitor the level of electrolytes and adjust it as needed. Control of the heart is mandatory.

Ethyl alcohol is a substance that neutralizes methanol. The action on the human body manifests itself in such a way that the liver enzymes will be "occupied" with the oxidation of ordinary ethyl alcohol, and methanol will remain unchanged and leave the body with exhaled air, as well as with urine. When it is reliably known that the victim received a large dose of methyl alcohol, he is immediately injected intravenously with a 5% solution of ethyl alcohol on a 5% solution of glucose at a rate of 1.5-2 g of alcohol per kg of weight of the patient per day, constantly monitoring the concentration Ethanol in the blood, since it can easily turn from a medicine into a poison.

The action of methanol is disastrous not only for direct target organs - all body systems suffer. Therefore, symptomatic therapy includes inhalation of oxygen, artificial respiration, bloodletting, drugs to improve the nutrition of the heart muscle and maintain its excitability and contractility. If the patient has changes in the psyche, then he is given sedatives. In extremely severe cases, hemodialysis is necessary.

Preventive measures

To date, safety experts recommend the production of replace methanol. The effect on the human body of this substance exceeds the efficiency of its use. There is an alternative in the form of ethyl alcohol, synthetic alcohols. In highly hazardous locations, we recommend wearing gas masks.

The effect of methanol on a person, as you could see, is negative. In order to protect people from unnecessary contact with this substance, specific labeling on containers containing it and publicly available materials, for example, such as varnishes, paints and their solvents, should be used. Pipelines with methanol must be painted in the appropriate color, warning the workers of housing and communal services, because it is not only toxic, but also explosive, especially near high voltage wires or gas pipes, which are often laid together.

Finally I would like to appeal to those who, in spite of everything, regularly use methanol: it acts on the human body both instantly and gradually, and there is no guarantee that if you avoid poisoning earlier, it will not catch you in the future. Be careful and read the labels carefully!