Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In a study in Ontario covering 6 years, 43 fatalities were reported due
to methanol ingestion. A total of 49% (21) were reported as suicide and
the remaining 51% (22) were classified as accidental. In the accidentrial
cases, 64% (14) drank methanol as a substitute for ethanol (Liu et al.,
1999).
3.4.3 Dermal
Liquid methanol may cause burning or tearing of the eyes. Long-term
contact with the skin may result in dry, rough, or chapped skin likely
because of the defatting effect of methanol (Delbrick et al., 1982).
Other than dry rough skin following repeat exposure there is little or
no information on the effect of chronic low-level dermal exposure to
methanol. High level of methanol exposure can result in acute methanol
poisoning as discussed in the early occupational cases.
Methanol is readily absorbed through the skin. A worker who had
methanol spilled over his legs and did not change his shoes or clothes
went blind the next day. After 7 months only transient improvement was
noted in his blindness (MAK, 1991). In another case of dermal
exposure, metabolic acidosis was reported in a man, who cleaned a
storage tank with methanol. He wore a positive pressure breathing
apparatus, but no protective clothing. He did not change his methanol-
saturated clothing for another hour after finishing the job supporting
that dermal exposure from clothing was responsible for his acidosis
(Downie et al., 1992).
In Argentina, a home remedy for gastrointestinal complaints in
children was to wrap the body in compress soaked in alcohol for
several hours. Of 55 children studied, 29 were treated with ethanol,
24 with methanol, and two were treated with both. Two of the ethanol
treated children died and most of the other treated ethanol children
exhibit ethanol poisoning. Severe acidosis was noted in the methanol
treated children (age 1.5 months to 4 years) and CNS depression was
noted. A total of 12 of the methanol treated children died from cardiac
or respiratory failure between 2 and 10 days following treatment. In
addition, three cases of erythema and two cases of flaking skin were
noted. The survivors showed no lasting effects (Gimenez et al., 1968).
