Document KzzEXVoLg3Rz8aYR3R07bQj8X
OFFICE OF
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND SANITATION
UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
W ASHING TO N , D , C.
September 12, 1936.
The Surgeon General, U. S. Public Health Service, Washington, D. C.
Sir:
(Through Division of Scientific Research)
I have the honor to transmit herewith a statement con
cerning the toxic effects of methanol which you asked to be
prepared for Mr. John L. Spivak, 31 East 27th Street, New York City.
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V METHANOL
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/rplJlethanol. is, neither a'.he.w -nor,.an.uncommon, chemical -compound.;
Itv.h6a.--.been'>marketed .nnder.:.ffi&ny-;.diffrentjchQmicai';snd,;tra^.(names,
some of-;which-are methyl; alcohol,', wood alcohol^wood spirit,, methyl
hydrate,-- wood naphtha^Columbia.-Spirits .and;{,Colonial 8pirita*yv-Mil
lions :of. -gallon^ have,been -used; by ..millionSj oi,-people, during'-the
past thirty? years,^principally for.solvent..purposes,, Or -the.;manu
facture- .of..-formaldehyde,'and.rfpr,;.denat^ingxQthyl,calco,hol.,, -In -1930
methanol became available-.in ilargej quantities ;.and-;at,a markedly lower
cps.t than ..heretofore; rThis,<.was.-vno.tdue -,,to the-.;,expansion ,or.develop
ment in ..the .wood --.distillation industry, .but tg the development of :a
synthetic process .for, making the....product.c^ilhe^ new process -was.
originally conceived;and ^.developed, in -France -.and.-.Germany-,. primarily
from the/.viewpoint-of- ...increasing -uses of coal,,and.-gas and with the ,
particular viewpoint-of the developments of,future,liquid motor
fuels The. process readily found adoption in the United States for
the utilization.of heretofore waste.gases in-the.manufacture of in dustrial.chemicals, resulting in.the'production of ,methanol &t.Uj,,
markedly reduced cost.
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TOXICITY OF' METHANOL ................ '
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Tho observationsand discussions of,the,poisonous, effect oil-,,
methanol which {have beon'.recordod.,-in"-.the,literature are .in-many `
casesviconflictingiend. confusing?) uS.ooe have explained, .the.differences
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in results on .the basis of individual susceptibility. Vvhile, this explanation,is no .-.doubt valid in part,.it isalso just as possible that many of .the. differences,arise .through-the, difficulty; in ob taining accurate-.quantitative details, particularly-if it involves the possible;use^of,methanol for beverage.,purposes.) In surveying past experience,,hocever, .there are.,certain.consistent observations. * It, has, been-shorn, beyond .doubt ..that^jnethanol>is-,a poison,.and will.produce serious ^poisoning,when,sufficient amounts are:taken into .the,,body.. ...Also,..there is..no, practical difference between the toxicity.of.crude and refined:methanol or between methanol-made: by the wood distillation,,process and that made by the recent synthetic process*. Further, it cannot,be ..made nonpoisonous, by, any known
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thetproduct .is,takenInto the,.stomach is pretty well .known.- Small amounts (-:haye. been taken -without.apparent harm,..but on the average one ,or two ounces .,(the contents of one -to two ordinary whiskey glasses) will cause serious poisoning with the possibility of blind ness.,and;tdeath*,,and twice that amount ;.will frequently.-cause deatii,,... .. ....The. effects ..ofinhaling air; containing v^ious amounts :q f methanol vapor are not so well known. Wide experience over many
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j years has' shown that there are conditions of .exposure- t o .ethanol / vapor'in the-'air; which cause ho .apparont harm and also that there
are conditions which rill produce serious poisoning* Records of cases of'severe poisoning-by-inhaling-methanol-.yapor* however, show the large majority'of serious, cases to. have -occurred in the use of | 'methanol, principally<as absolvent,-for paints, and..varnishes in relaJ \ lively small- confined end unventilated places.';.The use of. shellac 'dissolved' in -methanol-for..coating-the interior;of ,beer vats.has been an'"Important'.-source- of trouble of this- kind. The potential "-health'hazards'''from'.air- containtng methanol vapor thus depend,on the- degree- O f !exposure.
Lees is known -of :the-.dangers to;.health.from.absorption of -methanol `through'the' skin*.'.'A*.review-.of .the,.literature, gives,no
conclusive information-.that, serious poisoning.has been .acquired in this 'manner.' A fewvcases .are described -as possibly, being due "'to* skin absorption.;:In tihese cases the .exposure, was. either so slight .that-it"is'rather hard;tp.believe that the .trouble was due
V !t<f''absorption'of.-methanol through the skin, or the situation was
I so complicated.by the possibility-of high .concentrations of vapor in -the air breathed* 'When.one .considers the large amounts, of ;
j methanol-that'.have .been used, and the frequency with which it has j undoubtedly come in-contact with the skin, in many instances having ) 'been-used, for* treatment of-wounds and for ^rubbing*' purposes, it is
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produced by the rapid evaporation. A number of persona stated that
they had used methanol on wounds and as u liniment for rubbing purposes.
. None of these men expressed fear of exposure to the vapors or by-
skin contact, for the reason that they had never experienced ill health
from it, nor did they know of serious effects having occurred to
workers in the industry from this manner of exposure. There is, on
the other hand, universal knowledge that methanol is poisonous and
cannot be taken into the stomach. The results of the physical exam
ination of these men revealed no acute or chronic illnesses and no
defective vision or eye pathology attributable to methanol. There
was also no indication of deleterious action revealed by blood and
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urine analysis. .In & considerable number of cases of comparatively
severe exposure, methanol,wa3 found in both the blood and urine
when the specimens were taken after several hours' work. This con
firms actual exposure and acquiring methanol, but, on the other hand,
substantiates experience that certain amounts of methanol can be ac
quired, without apparent harm. Specimens taken the following morning
from several of these parsons showed methanol to be practically
absent in most cases, and markedly reduced in the others. In all
cases the .amounts in the blood and urine were far below those which
r had been found in the laboratory part of the study to be harmful to
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It was concluded that the evidence that raethcnol poisoning has
been caused by absorption through the skin is rare and inconclusive.
Also that practically continuous exposure to low concentrations and
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j^:; i short '^ateraltte^nt'^exposure to 'high'concentrations^of";,otha^nol :; :c
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-but, ori' the other hand, ,continued, exposure
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I ,- to :Kigif.concentrations'-yiir*cftus serious polBflovsg ;..
.! ..;% ' :,All.ethanol* ;whether made hy wood distillation methods' or .
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it-is .crude,, refined or highly puri~ .
Vi'S^ y e t ' p o i s o n o u s .when;takeii^pte^wi^. It. vili',causo' serious
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e. is taken' into, the stomach. ^ The', grette s^d^nger is 'that
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'' j. alcohol'd methyl; alcohol.'. '
On behalf ,of th. state '.'territorial healthoffiGoro, the
'.Public Health' Service has b.een instrmentaljin' bi^ii^ing 'about agrtie--
'.menta with the' chemical industry beneficial; to th.e'.heiilth',of those
working in the'industry and also to.'those. using its' products. ,'The .
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agreements coverr such poisonous, macerialpVas^t^ '''",,0 1 , liquid chlorinated
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apparent that no appreciable hazard exists from this manner of
exposure to ethanol when it Is used in automobile radiators as
antifreeze. .
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A survey of the conditions of exposure prevailing in four
plants engaged in the manufacture of methanol and physical exam
inations of the limited number of men. who were exposed from a
period of .a, few months lo ten to fifteen years has, been completed.
This survey consisted in making general observations of duties
and exposure of the workmen, quantitative chemical determinations
of....'.he amount of,methanol to which the. workmen were exposed and a
physical examination, of the workmen. ,The .physical examination, in
cluded an occupational history, a health history .and a complete
physical., examination..with, special .attention, to vision, pupil re
flex and eye pathology as revealed b y .ophthalmoscopic examination. Urine specimens were examined,for. albumen, .sugar, specific gravity,
reaction to..litmus and methanol content; and blood specimens ..for
methanol, hemoglobin content, number of red and white cells and
differential,cell counts.
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These persons were engaged in all the.operations of manufacturing
methanol;,wherein, there was exposure to air .containing the vapor and
exposure by contact with 'he skin. . In nearly all cases both types
of .exposure were present.. The manner of ,,exposure to vapor ranged
from working over drums .being filled, with methanol, inserting bungs
in filled drums the exterior of which was usually wet with drippings,
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working over an open drain pan continuously*wet wita .methanol, taking
samples of methanol from drums and otlil-house lock-boxes, making
hydrometer.tests and general-exposure resulting from leaks and spillage
in;,^he working places.
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Contact with the skin was a common finding, occurring many
times daily.with.some persons# In one.operation a roan net the palm
and fingers of one hand two hundred to three hundred timesdaily,'
and.in addition to this, was continuously working over arums being
filled, with antifreeze methanol. In a similar, operation another,
person wore,gloves, the palms, and fingers of which were wet almost
constantly. ^Other operations required almost constant'contact of'
the. fingers with methanol. ,,;It is a rather -common practice among
still-house operations ,at wood distillation plants-to wot their
hands j/ith.methanol and smell the-product-as'a..guide1in .still opera
tion*. Likewise,., i t ,i s a common practice.atthese .plants to use
methanol, for-washing... wood tar from the-hands ..and tools and for cleaning
parts,of. machinery*
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. The above .are usual-and .observed exposures, under unusual con
ditions, it. was learned by interview .of workmen, that some frequently
got their trouser, legs wet and others,1.on a number .of cases, have .
been practically .drenched with methanol'.' They stated- that the
uBusunl procedure in these cases is to merely allow the methanol to
evaporate., as -they suffer.,no discomfort other than,the .cooling effect