Ethylene Glycol

Ethylene glycol by itself is an odorless,colorless, sweet-tasting syrup-like liquid in it's natural state[1]. As appealing as that might sound however, keep out of reach of children! This isn't something to have with your morning pancakes! Although the LD50 is fairly high it is still considered toxic [5]. Although slightly hazardous if contact with skin or eyes occurs (skin/eyes will be irritated) the real hazards come when ingested [5]. Ethylene glycol when ingested can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, central nervous system depression and kidney damage [5]. Now if these scare you and you're looking for a safer version, you're in luck...sort of. Propylene glycol was made as a substitute for ethylene glycol as it is less toxic so therefore "safer" for use [4]. However, both chemicals once used, have waste products caused by it's interaction with other chemicals, and both end up being equally toxic [6]. Another draw back from propylene glycol is that it is a more pricier product [4]. So unless you want to spend more for the same toxic result it may not be in your best interest. But back to ethylene glycol, what is it used for?  If you own a vehicle you have probably used ethylene glycol, since it's a main component in antifreeze[2]. This molecule as shown above is just simply ethylene oxide (2 CH2 groups and an oxygen atom) that has been hydrated, which is the most common way to make this chemical since it is the most efficient [3]. Now, for ethylene glycol to be used as an antifreeze it must be paired with water [2]. When paired it lowers the freezing point of water, which gives it the antifreezing property [2]. Ethylene glycol while most commonly found as coolant for engines, can also be found in such products as latex paint, photographic developing fluid and even cosmetics (generally as a fragrance agent)[2].

Overall, this little chemical is plays a small but integral part of our day to day life. Be it a bus, plane,boat, car, this molecule keeps our engines in check and helps get us safely from point A to point B. Now you know a little bit more about it! Yay for learning!

References

[1] Royal Society of Chemistry (n.d.). Ethylene Glycol. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.13835235.html?rid=2c805193-afef-453b-b361-081c94570ed5

[2] Schlager, N. , Weisblatt, J. & Newton D. (2006). Ethylene Glycol. Chemical Compounds (pg. 313-316).Detroit, U.S.: Gale.

[3] The University of York. Ethane-1,2,-diol (Ethylene Glycol). Retrieved March 5,2015, from http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/chemicals/ethane-12diol.html

[4] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(n.d.). Antifreeze. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/antifree.htm

[5] U.S. National Library of Medicine (n.d.). Ethylene Glycol. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/107-21-1#names

[6] U.S. National Library of Medicine (n.d.). Ethylene Glycol. Retrieved March 5,2015, from http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=13