[lemonoman]

So I FINALLY got to work in a real laboratory and do some real analytical chemistry for profit yesterday...we were using microwave extraction to 'nuke' crushed up rocks in methanol...and the liquid fractions had to be transferring to vials so they could be GC'ed...

My burning question is, I spilled methanol on my hands, repeatedly.  Anybody out there have that happen?  How much before you go blind?

I know this info could be found on a website looking at LD50s, etc...but this way I get to tell a story and we all get to share our methanol experiences.  

[GCT]

You don't want to come into contact with any of the chemicals, so in general wear gloves.  As far as I know methanol is toxic to the optic nerve

[movies]

I think that most of the harm from methanol is due to the fact that it gets oxidized to formaldehyde in the body when you ingest it.  I'm not sure if that happens with skin exposure though.

MSDS for MeOH

[jdurg]

Unless you took a bath in the stuff, I wouldn't worry about it.  Methanol is in a LOT of windshield washer fluids, and I don't recall being told to wear gloves while refilling my reservoir.  

[Dude]

I've spilled methanol on myself several times.  As GCT mentioned, wear gloves when using it since it is skin-permeable.  From an anecdotal perspective, I've known HPLC technicians who have gotten it on themselves daily and they appear to have perfect eyesight after 20+ years (ie suggesting that it is not cumulative).  If you you do get a whole bunch in your system, make sure you drink pleny of ethanol.  I've read (it's in most Biochemistry textbooks) that there is a competitive enzyme reaction that makes methanol essentially harmless if you have it in a small proportion to ethanol.  In fact, many GC analyses indicate that there are small quantites of methanol in almost all alcoholic beverages.  Obviously, the get loaded theory fails if it starts approaching the toxicity limit of ethanol.  The information given by GCT is also consistent with observations about the very stern warnings for eye protection when dealing with chemicals that generate methanol in vapor form (ie hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane).  

[jdurg]

You are correct.  The human body REALLY prefers to break down ethanol much more than it does methanol.  Alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for alcohol metabolism, has a strong steric preference more ethanol.  As a result, if there is a greater concentration of ethanol compared to methanol, the methanol will quickly leave the body untouched.  All alcoholic beverages contain a small portion of methanol in them.  The concentration is high enough to be detected, but not compared to the concentration of ethanol it's not really toxic at all.  Methanol itself is pretty much non-toxic.  It's just that your body has this bad habit of converting it into formaldehyde which is REALLY, REALLY bad for you.

At emergency rooms, if they strongly believe that someone has ingested methanol, they will immediately introduce ethanol into their blood stream in order to flood the enzymes and help the body excrete the methanol as ethanol is a very good diuretic.

[lemonoman]

So jdurg...what you're saying...is that if I ever spill methanol on me, the best home remedy is going drinking?

I LOVE Chemistry!  :cheers:

[jdurg]

So jdurg...what you're saying...is that if I ever spill methanol on me, the best home remedy is going drinking?

I LOVE Chemistry!  :cheers:

LMFAO.... No.


 

[arnyk]

I would dare to say that you won't go BLIND by spilling it on your HANDS.  

[movies]

But you'll go blind if you drink too much of it....

[arnyk]

Again I would dare to say that you won't go blind from DRINKING by spilling it on your HANDS.  

I certainly hope you're not cleaning your hands with your mouth.

[Donaldson Tan]

this is hilarious but always remember: safety first

 

[movies]

I certainly hope you're not cleaning your hands with your mouth.

Hey, it works for my cats!  

[arnyk]

Your cats aren't doing 3rd year Analytical Chem Practicals...or at least they shouldn't be...  

[movies]

Yes, you've got me on that one.

Alas.