About the dangers of methyl alcohol and the simplest methods for determining methanol in vodka. How can you distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol at home

Ethyl alcohol serves as the basis for all strong alcoholic beverages. A surrogate potion is made from methyl alcohol, a component from the same class of organic compounds. The use of methanol is fraught with severe poisoning, disability and even death. It is difficult for an unprepared person to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol by external signs. If the purchased drink is suspicious, you can resort to home tests that will identify the dangerous component.

How to check ethyl or methyl alcohol

Food alcohol and deadly poison are similar to each other. Both compounds are a colorless, flammable liquid. But methyl alcohol has a less pronounced odor than ethyl alcohol. This is the only difference that unmistakably betrays the lethal substance.

If a recognizable vodka “flavor” hits the nose when uncorking the bottle, this is a sure sign of high-quality alcohol. But the lack of smell should alert. You should not drink such a product until the nature of its origin is clarified. You can determine the class of substances using improvised means without leaving your home.

Home methods for determining

When starting experiments, it is important to realize that a home laboratory will not replace a specialized one. There are 7 ways to detect methanol in a drink:

1. Assess the color of the flame when igniting alcohol.
2. Test with raw potatoes.
3. Determine the boiling point of the substance.
4. Experiment with baking soda.
5. Assess the reaction of the substance with potassium permanganate.
6. Carry out a test with copper wire and flame.
7. Apply Lang's test.

For reliability, it is worth using several methods for identifying alcohol in a product. The result will be more accurate if the bottle contains pure methanol or its concentration is more than half of the total volume.

flame color

The test is best done in a dark room, excluding all possible light sources. The experimental liquid is poured into a shallow container and then set on fire. Evaluate the color of the flame and the rate of ignition of the substance. Ethanol ignites quickly and burns with a pale bluish flame. Methanol ignites more slowly and has a greenish tint when burned. Cotton buds are also suitable for the experiment: they are moistened in a liquid and brought to a fire source.

This method cannot be called ultra-precise, since it is difficult to determine the color of the flame if the drink contains impurities. So, when boric acid is added, both substances burn in the same way - with a green flame.

Reaction with potatoes

The experiment should be carried out only with colorless drinks. The liquid is poured into a transparent glass, then a slice of raw potato is placed in it and left for 3-4 hours. If during this time the root crop has changed its color to pink or lilac, then there is a surrogate in the glass. If the potato remains unchanged, the drink does not pose a threat to health. Metamorphosis with a vegetable occurs due to the interaction of starch with the test compound.

The disadvantage of this method is the long time that must be waited to ascertain the safety (or danger) of the experimental liquid. Therefore, the potato test is not very common among the people.

Boiling temperature

You can check the presence of poison in an alcohol-containing drink by bringing it to a boil. To perform the test, a thermometer resistant to high temperatures is required. The liquid is poured into a refractory dish, the device is immersed in it and put on fire with it. Wait for the moment of boiling the drink and evaluate the results. Ethyl alcohol boils at +78°C, methyl alcohol at +64°C.

The result will be accurate if pure alcohol is tested. If you need to test an alcohol-containing liquid, which is the majority of alcoholic products, this method cannot be relied upon.

Reaction with baking soda

The experience is based on the difference in interaction with the alkaline environment of ethyl and methyl alcohol. This can be clearly demonstrated by adding a little baking soda to both substances (1 tsp per 1 glass) and mix the solutions well. The surrogate will dissolve the white powder without residue and retain its transparency, while in food alcohol, soda will precipitate to the bottom in the form of yellow flakes.

This homemade alcohol test guide will work if the drink itself is colorless. If dark-colored wines, port wine, cognac or beer are tested, the cloudy sediment at the bottom can not be seen.

Reaction with potassium permanganate

Surrogate and legal alcohol interact differently with potassium permanganate. Differences in the reaction when mixing the two components will be the main evidence of the presence (or absence) of methanol in the drink. This test is good because it can be applied to colored and dark-colored liquids.

Potassium permanganate is added to a glass of alcohol at the tip of a knife and the reaction is monitored. If there is a rapid release of bubbles, methyl alcohol is present in the glass. If gas is not released, but a vinegar smell is clearly felt, the experimental liquid does not pose a danger to the body.

Formaldehyde test

Copper wire is required for this experiment. Copper wire is suitable, but in this case it is stripped from the insulating coating. The test drink is poured into a glass. The metal is heated on fire and quickly placed in a liquid. If there is an admixture of methanol in it, soon the smell of formaldehyde will soar in the air. Food grade alcohol will not smell (sometimes it can smell like rotten apples).

The main disadvantage of this method is that not everyone knows what formaldehyde smells like. This substance can be identified by a specific hospital "aroma", which is particularly resistant.

Lang test

To distinguish between two alcohols, the Lang test or the oxidizability of the liquid will help. To conduct the test, you will need a glass test tube or a transparent narrow vessel. The tube is first rinsed with the liquid to be tested, and then 50 ml is poured inside. The container is placed in warm water (temperature + 15 ° C) for 10 minutes, making sure that the outside water is above the level of the alcoholic beverage. Using a syringe, add 1 ml of potassium permanganate solution prepared from 1 liter of water and 0.2 g of potassium permanganate. The composition is stirred and again placed in water.

Next, the time is recorded, which will take the clarification of the liquid from saturated pink to light pink. The longer the oxidation takes, the safer the drink. Ethyl alcohol will discolor the liquid in 10–20 minutes, methyl alcohol almost immediately.

Precautionary measures

Methanol is a potent poison that causes poisoning and subsequent complications. As little as 5–10 g of a dangerous substance can cause blindness, and 30 g is considered a lethal dose. The toxic effect of the compound is manifested not only when it is ingested, but also when interacting with it. Thus, methyl alcohol vapors penetrate the respiratory tract and through the skin, causing irritation of the mucous membranes, visual disturbances, headaches, and neuritis. That's why you need to be careful when handling methanol, even if you don't intend to drink it. The following rules will help protect yourself:

1. You can work with the substance only in a ventilated area.
2. Respiratory organs must be protected with a respirator, put on rubber gloves on your hands.
3. It is forbidden to pour hazardous substances down the drain. It should be collected in a sealed container and handed over to special structures involved in the destruction of hazardous substances.
4. If the poison gets on the skin or hands, wash it off with plenty of water. If alcohol gets on clothes, they must be washed in warm water.
5. If methanol is accidentally swallowed, medical attention should be sought immediately.

You can buy a methanol-based alcoholic drink without knowing it. Patients suffering from alcoholism are at risk. The dependence on alcohol is so strong that the person does not realize that he is drinking poison. Alcohol abuse, periodic binges make a person look for cheaper analogues of legal alcoholic beverages. Therefore, cases of poisoning with a surrogate with a fatal outcome appear regularly in the media news.

In order to avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to buy alcohol in trusted places - in the wine departments of large hypermarkets, specialized stores. You should not buy alcohol in dubious places, from hands or from home winemakers. When buying, you should always pay attention to the presence of an excise stamp, an informative label and high-quality packaging. If the purchased drink does not inspire confidence, it is better not to drink it at all.

Test: Check the compatibility of your medication with alcohol

Enter the name of the drug in the search bar and find out how compatible it is with alcohol

Alcohol is the main ingredient in almost all alcoholic beverages. But in order to end up with high-quality, tasty, and most importantly safe products, you need to choose the right alcohol.

Alcohol can be of two types: ethyl and methyl. Which of them can be drunk or eaten, and what color they burn, we will tell below.

Ethyl or ethanol

Ethyl alcohol is of two types: food and medical. It is suitable for consumption, however, before that it must be diluted with water, otherwise, due to the high concentration of alcohol, serious burns of the digestive tract and oral cavity can be obtained.

Without special manipulations, "by eye" it is impossible to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol. Both liquids are transparent, with a characteristic odor, the same density. True, methyl has a neutral aroma, which is rather weakly expressed and is felt only when “sniffing”, while ethanol vapor is sharper and blows into the nose.

Such a product is obtained by distillation of the wort, which has previously passed the fermentation stage. You can also get it yourself at home, however, for this you need to use a special distillate - moonshine.

Reference. Homemade moonshine, made from high-quality raw materials and in accordance with technological rules, is in no way inferior in quality to industrial alcohol.

But it should be understood that with prolonged use of this ethyl product in large quantities, alcohol dependence may appear. Therefore, all drinks prepared on its basis must be consumed in small quantities.

Methyl or methanol

Methyl or technical alcohol, which is usually simply called methanol by the people- This is an industrial product, it cannot be used for food in any form. This liquid is obtained from legnin, formic alcohol and wood.

Use such a product for the manufacture of solvents and formaldehyde. When working with such a substance, you should definitely follow safety precautions, since methanol has a strong and pungent aroma, and can also cause severe burns to the epidermis.

Reference. Technical alcohol is absorbed into the body much more slowly than ethanol, it destroys the nervous system, causes severe poisoning, and also impairs vision.

That is why, when making your own alcohol-based alcoholic beverages, it is very important to use the right product.

When buying alcoholic beverages in stores with a proven reputation, the risk of poisoning with a “scorched” product is significantly reduced. Most often, drinks with methyl alcohol are sold in stalls, stalls, from hands, at unauthorized points of sale and drinking, as well as near railway stations.

How to define a species?

However, in order to independently determine which type of alcohol is represented, it is not at all necessary to carry its samples to the laboratory. There are several simple ways to determine the type of alcohol:

1. All that is needed is to set fire to the liquid. You can pour a small amount into any container, or you can simply moisten the edge of a cotton swab and bring it to a fire source. This method does not require the use of any special tools, and the diagnostic result is instant. Ethyl alcohol always burns only with a blue fire, but the flame of methanol is green. But this rule only works for methyl alcohol without unnecessary impurities.
2. There is also the so-called potato test. A small root crop is thoroughly cleaned and washed, then cut into two parts and both are placed in a jar. Pour potatoes with alcohol and leave for 2-5 hours. If after this period the water does not turn pink, then ethyl alcohol, and in the future it can be used.
3. You can add a small amount of baking soda to a vessel with alcohol. If there is ethanol in the container, then the soda will turn yellow and settle at the bottom of the container. If the alcohol is methyl, then it will completely dissolve.
4. Alcohol is slightly heated and a couple of granules of ordinary potassium permanganate are added to it. If the liquid is of high quality, then no changes will occur. If methanol was heated, then when potassium permanganate enters it, it will begin to hiss strongly and bubble.
5. If you have a good industrial thermometer at hand, then a small amount of liquid can simply be heated in a metal bowl. At the moment when it starts to boil, its temperature should be measured. Ethanol boils at 80 degrees, and methyl alcohol begins to boil already at 60 degrees.
6. Lang's test or discoloration of the liquid. To do this, in a small container, the test liquid is heated to 18 degrees. Manganese infusion is immediately poured here and everything is removed from the fire. Now you need to measure the time it takes to color the liquid from dark crimson to light pink. The longer this process takes place, the better the quality of the test liquid. The best option is 10 - 20 minutes. For such a sample, 50 g of alcohol, 2 g of water and 0.2 mg of potassium permanganate will be required.
7. The simplest, but most reliable is the so-called formaldehyde study. All that is needed is to heat a copper wire over high heat and lower it into a container of liquid. After 15 seconds, the copper is removed and sniffed. The stronger the aroma of formaldehyde, the more low-quality alcohol, which means that you should never drink it.

Attention! When buying alcohol in random places, or, even more so, when you receive a homemade product as a gift, smell it before drinking. If the smell seems too harsh, somehow unusual, do not be too lazy to conduct a home examination in order to prevent severe poisoning.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

If methanol was nevertheless consumed, then this will be evidenced by:

• flickering before the eyes and deterioration of visibility;
• severe headache and dizziness;
• severe cutting cramps in the stomach;
• nausea and vomiting.

A person can also poorly navigate in space and lose consciousness. In such cases, immediately need to provide first aid:

1. call an ambulance and explain that the victim has severe methanol poisoning.
2. It is necessary to give the person a soda solution to drink. The volume of the drunk liquid should not be less than 1500 ml.
3. You need to cleanse your intestines. To do this, first induce vomiting, and then put an enema.

For intoxication and neutralization of methanol, the victim is given to drink 50 ml of slightly diluted ethanol every three hours. But do not self-medicate at home. Only in a medical institution can assess the degree of poisoning and provide proper assistance.

Ethyl alcohol poisoning

You can also get poisoned with ethyl alcohol if you exceed the permissible dose of consumption. The amount of alcohol that enters the bloodstream is measured in ppm (‰) - a conventional unit denoting 1/10 of a percent of alcohol per 1 liter of blood.

First aid for ethyl alcohol poisoning (hangover)

If a drunkard feels sick, he should be given the opportunity to empty his stomach properly, and if he is able to drink water, it should be offered in sufficient quantities. The more alcohol the body expels from itself at this stage, the better. It is important to ensure that a person does not choke on drink or vomit. The next morning after the "victim" oversleep, he will need:

1. One tablet of acetylsalicylic acid and analgin (or aspirin + citramon) to relieve headaches.
2. Activated carbon, enterosgel or other sorbents.
3. Plentiful drink - mineral water, compote, sweet drinks save well, because during the "libations" the body loses glucose.
4. If there is an urge to vomit, you can cause it artificially by drinking a glass of clean water before that.
5. Refreshing shower, airing the room, easy walk.
6. Chicken broth, soup, some oatmeal, greens, or a raw egg will kick start your stomach and help you recover faster.

Heavy physical activity, exposure to contrasting temperatures, heavy food should be avoided and you should not “hangover”.

Video: how to check the quality of alcohol at home?

If there are doubts about the purchased alcoholic liquid, then it is better to do several studies at the same time to determine its quality. Watch a video that uses the Lang method - one of the easy ways to test the quality of alcohol at home:

How to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl?

A terrible dilemma, indeed. More precisely, it is very scary to make a mistake in the end. After all, methanol is a terrible poison, a lethal dose is considered from 30 to 100 ml. Otherwise, a person can survive, but at the same time lose his sight.

Therefore, take the following information seriously:

Ethanol burns blue when ignited, methanol a green flame.

If you throw a piece of potato into a glass of alcohol, then after a few hours it can either turn pink - then it's methanol, or remain the same color - respectively, you have ethanol in front of you.

For amateur chemists: take a copper wire, heat it up, lower it into a glass of alcohol. If you have methanol, the smell will be extremely unpleasant, but if you have ethanol, then there will either be no smell, or you will feel a slight aroma of apples.

In taste, color, smell, methyl alcohol is similar to ethyl alcohol, but

distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol

improvised ways

• set fire to alcohol, the one that burns with a blue flame is most likely ethanol, since methanol burns green.
• test with potatoes. A piece of raw potato must be placed in alcohol. If it turns pink after a few hours, it's methanol. Potatoes do not change color in ethanol.
• Can soak a cotton swab in both liquids and set fire to in turn. The smell of formaldehyde will indicate methanol.

But the most reliable way is to heat a copper wire on fire, lowering it into a vessel with liquid. From methyl alcohol there will be a sharp unpleasant smell of formaldehyde. If there is ethanol in the vessel, there will be no odors.

The most effective and fastest way to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol. Pour the test liquid into a glass, take a small piece of copper wire, 0.5-1 mm. Heat this wire in the flame of a candle or gas burner, and quickly lower it into a glass. Reacting with alcohol, red-hot copper will release a certain gas from alcohol. Its composition is not important to us. Its smell matters.

If the vapor from the glass has a sour (acidic) smell, then it was ethyl alcohol. And if the smell of formaldehyde, that is, the frank smell of a mortuary, then there was methyl alcohol in the glass. This method has been tested personally, so I recommend it. Especially now, when the shelves of even branded stores are filled with fake alcohol.

If you drink low-quality ethyl alcohol, then the poisoning can be severe, but if you use methanol, then there is very little chance of surviving after that.

First of all, ethyl alcohol differs from methyl alcohol in taste, ethyl alcohol, I think everyone has tried alcohol as alcohol, but methyl alcohol has the taste of a chemical solution, the taste is very sharp and almost medicinal, but I would not advise you to try it is harmful to the liver, better smell both ethyl solutions alcohol smells like alcohol, but methyl chemistry is very strong.

To identify the type of alcohol, the first thing you should do is set fire to a small amount of alcohol. Methanol has a green tint when burned, while ethanol has a blue flame.

It is also fashionable to use a piece of ordinary white onion to distinguish it, which, after lying in methyl alcohol for an hour, will take on a split shade.

Methyl alcohol is almost impossible to distinguish from ethyl alcohol at home. The method with heated wire and the smell of formaldehyde is good for connoisseurs of chemistry. Ethyl alcohol with this method will emit the smell of acetone, while not very different from formaldehyde.

A more effective way is to set fire to paper soaked in alcohol and watch the color of the flame. Pure ethyl alcohol will burn in the first seconds with a blue flame, methanol will burn green.

By ordinary ignition in a spoon. Ethyl (drinking) alcohol burns with a hay-blue flame. Methanol burns with a greenish flame.

By immersion in an unknown environment of peeled potato plastic. After an hour in methanol, the potato will turn pink, and ethyl alcohol will remain the same color.

By formaldehyde test. A piece of copper wire is heated on fire and released into alcohol. If it smells like apples, you can drink it. If it smells like a morgue (formaldehyde) - you can not drink.

The most correct thing is to take a sample for chemical analysis, if possible. In any case, do not use internally if there is any doubt.

There is a test with potatoes - a potato wedge left for several hours acquires a pink tint in methyl alcohol, but does not change in ethyl alcohol ...

You can also heat the copper wire on fire, lower it into the sample. Ethyl alcohol does not give a new smell, and methyl gives a sharp unpleasant odor.

Ethyl alcohol can be distinguished from methyl alcohol by smell. Methyl alcohol has a pronounced unpleasant odor. and ethyl, just smells like alcohol. Only, in order to be able to distinguish like that, you need to not drink alcohol at all. If you drink alcohol, then it will be difficult to distinguish.

Still, to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl, it is enough to put in a piece of onion. If the onion turns green after half an hour, then it is methyl alcohol.

Methyl alcohol poisoning is a very dangerous disease that can lead to very serious consequences and even death. Methyl negatively affects the human nervous system, the heart, liver and other organs.. In case of poisoning, they need to urgently provide proper medical care, otherwise the person may die. It is very important to be able to distinguish methyl from ethyl, since methyl alcohol cannot be taken orally.

The difference between the effects of methyl and ethyl alcohol on the body

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is a depressant that is added to alcoholic beverages. Because of this, they have an intoxicating effect. Ethyl alcohol is medical and food, that is, it is safe for human health in a small amount.. True, with prolonged use of alcohol based on ethanol, dependence on it is formed.

Ethanol is obtained by distillation of a fermented solution. It turns out alcohol of high concentration, but before use it must be diluted with water, otherwise a burn of the oral mucosa and esophagus is possible. You can get natural moonshine at home, using a special moonshine still.

Homemade alcohol tastes no different from the purchased one. But subject to all the technologies for its manufacture, the quality of the resulting moonshine is very high. Therefore, many recommend preparing alcoholic beverages on their own.

Methyl alcohol, or methanol, is a monoatomic substance that is a poison to the human body. It is extracted from formic acid, lignin and wood. It is used in the industrial field as a solvent for paints. In addition, it is applied in the formaldehyde production process. Methanol is absorbed much more slowly than ethanol, therefore, in the process of oxidation, a number of extremely toxic substances are formed in the body.

That is why methanol depresses the nervous system, affects the retina. Therefore, people often go blind as a result of drinking low-quality alcohol. The use of methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol can lead to serious poisoning. Even small doses lead to death.

How to independently distinguish methyl from ethyl

The fact is that it is rather problematic to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol, since they have the same color, taste and smell. True, ethanol has a more pronounced aroma, while methyl alcohol is almost neutral. So if, after sniffing the liquid, it seems to you that the smell is unusual, it is better not to drink such alcohol. Therefore, you need to check alcohol before you drink it. There are several basic ways to do this.

Method 1. Ignite the liquid

This is the simplest method to determine the quality of an alcoholic beverage. To do this, a small amount of liquid is poured into a saucer and alcohol is set on fire.

You can also take a cotton swab, soak it in alcohol and set it on fire. Wherein ethanol will burn with a blue flame, but methanol will burn with green.

Although it must be borne in mind that the reaction appears only if the methyl alcohol is pure, without various impurities of additives.

Method 2. Use potatoes

You can also check the quality of alcohol with the help of potatoes. To do this, one medium-sized potato is peeled, and then poured with alcohol. The amount of alcohol should be such that it completely covers the surface of the vegetable. Potatoes will not affect the taste of alcohol in any way, so they can be consumed if they pass the test.

If after a few hours it did not change color, it means that it was in edible ethyl alcohol. It usually turns pink in methanol.. In addition, the alcohol itself should not change color either. In natural alcohol, starch is not released from potatoes, but in methanol, its particles enter the liquid. As a result, she becomes cloudy.

Method 3. Heating

To determine what alcohol is in front of you, you need to boil the liquid. To do this, pour about 200 ml of alcohol into a dish that can be heated, and put it on fire. During the procedure, it is necessary to use a thermometer, since it is necessary to measure at what temperature boiling will begin. For ethanol - 80 degrees, and for methyl alcohol - only 60.

Method 4. Reaction to potassium permanganate and soda

Potassium permanganate or potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent that does not affect food alcohol. Therefore, when it is added to ethanol, no reaction will occur during the heating of the mixture. But if it's methanol, the liquid will start to sizzle. In this case, a strong smell of formalin will appear. After all, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde, and ethanol to acetaldehyde. Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use any other oxidizing agent.

Baking soda is also added to the liquid. After that, the solution is stirred. In food alcohol, an insoluble yellow precipitate should appear, which occurs during the reaction of ethanol and iodine. But in methyl alcohol, soda will completely dissolve and the liquid will become transparent.

Method 5. Formaldehyde test

It is believed that the most reliable way to determine methanol in alcohol is a formaldehyde test. For its implementation, they take a thin copper wire and heat it on fire. After that, they are immersed in alcohol. Then you need to smell it: if there is a strong smell of formalin, you cannot drink such a drink. After all, ethanol, when reacting with copper wire, emits the smell of apple cider vinegar.

Method 6. Lang's test

To check the quality of the alcohol consumed, you can conduct the so-called Lang test. Research can be done at home. For this:

• you need to take 50 ml of alcohol and pour it into a container that can be heated .;
• then 0.2 g of potassium permanganate is diluted in 2 ml of distilled water.
• alcohol is heated to 18 degrees, and then a solution of potassium permanganate is poured into it. The resulting mixture must be well mixed.

Now you need to detect the time during which the color of the mixture will change its color from purple to pink. The longer this lasts, the higher the quality of the tested alcohol. A result is considered normal if the discoloration of alcohol lasted at least 10 minutes..

The main thing is to buy alcoholic beverages only in trusted places. It is better to buy it in stores, and not from the hands of people. In this case, the risk of accidental use of methanol is reduced significantly. Usually methyl alcohol is cheaper, although some sellers may pass it off as ethanol.

But it must be borne in mind that such methods are effective only if the alcohol contains a high concentration of methanol - more than half of the total volume. Therefore, if there is little methyl in alcohol or it contains impurities, then it is almost impossible to determine its presence in alcohol at home.

Therefore, one should not think that the experiments described above allow one to be 100% sure of the quality of the product used. Indeed, in alcoholic beverages, pure ethanol masks methanol additives. Therefore, if there is doubt about the quality and origin of an alcoholic beverage, it is better not to drink it.

Pure methanol is a very dangerous poison for humans. Just 50 grams leads to blindness. The lethal concentration of poisonous alcohol in the body is above 100 grams.. And even if a person remains alive, then his sight is unlikely to return to him.

Symptoms of methanol and ethanol poisoning

Poisoning with ethyl and methyl alcohol is distinguished by the symptoms of intoxication, as well as its course. For example, when poisoned with ethyl alcohol, a person has a headache and dizziness, he is sick, diarrhea or constipation is possible. In addition, for a while there is an aversion to food. In this case, the repeated use of alcoholic beverages is possible only a few days after intoxication, since the smell of alcohol causes a gag reflex. In case of methanol poisoning, the following symptoms appear:

• headache is sharp and sudden, then goes away, then reappears;
• it becomes difficult for a person to breathe, there is severe pain in the chest area;
• he experiences general malaise, weakness and lethargy;
• there is severe pain in the abdomen.

Visual impairment is specific. Objects appear fuzzy and blurry. There is photophobia, while the pupils are dilated.

And although the symptoms of intoxication with methyl and ethyl alcohol are similar, they differ in severity. In the first case, poisoning is more acute and is extremely serious, leading to very serious consequences.

First aid

Methyl alcohol is a very dangerous product for the human body. If for some reason a person drank it, an urgent need to call a doctor at home. In the meantime, he arrives, it is recommended to provide first aid to the patient:

1. Immediately you need to clear the stomach. Good methyl poisonous alcohol is slowly absorbed into the blood, and remains in the gastrointestinal tract for some time. Therefore, with timely washing, complications can be avoided. For washing, you need to add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to a liter of warm water so that the resulting solution has a pink tint. It must be drunk in one gulp, which should provoke a gag reflex.
2. You also need to drink about 50-100 ml of ethanol. Due to this, the poison will be removed from the body faster.
3. If the poisoning is very acute, it is necessary to carry out hemodialysis. However, it is impossible to perform the procedure at home, so you should wait for the doctors.

The doctor may prescribe hospitalization of the patient or recommend treatment at home. One way or another, therapy should not be postponed, since death from taking methyl alcohol can occur in a few hours.

After intoxication with methyl alcohol, the consequences for a person can be extremely severe. For example, there is a syndrome of prolonged squeezing. In this case a person falls into a coma for a while, as a result of which muscle tissue is destroyed. In addition, the work of the kidneys is disrupted. Due to the transferred coma, heart and respiratory failure appears.

It must be remembered that even accidental use of methyl can lead to serious complications. Therefore, one should not drink it consciously. It is from the use of low-quality vodka that people who abuse alcohol most often die. After all, the lethal dose of methanol for humans is only 100 ml.

Industrial alcohol poisoning is one of the most severe. Even with the use of a small amount of this substance, the human body receives serious poisoning, which often leads to death. Now we will figure out how to distinguish methanol from ethanol. The events that took place in the Czech Republic, in which several thousand people were poisoned from counterfeit alcohol, make this information extremely relevant and very important.

The main problem is the lack of differences in taste, color and smell of edible alcohol and methyl alcohol, which is also called technical. This is the main cause of poisoning. Most often, ethanol is found in a variety of household chemicals. However, there are times when methyl alcohol is sold under the guise of medical or food.

Options for determining methyl alcohol

Origin. Buy alcoholic beverages only in specialized stores whose reputation you are sure of. In this case, the probability of stumbling upon counterfeit alcohol is much less than when buying in stalls and other dubious places.

Fire. The easiest way to check what kind of alcohol you are dealing with is to set it on fire. After the substance has ignited, notice the color of the fire. Ethanol will have a blue fire, while methanol will have a green fire.

potato test with potatoes? Take a small piece of a raw potato and drop it for a couple of hours in the alcohol you are testing. In the event that the potato changes its color and acquires a pinkish tint, you have technical alcohol in front of you. If the vegetable does not change its color, there is ethyl alcohol in the container.

Formaldehyde method. This method is considered perhaps the most reliable. It is necessary to take a copper wire and glow it on a stove or on another source of fire. Then, with a hot edge, it must be lowered into a bottle of alcohol. A specific smell that has appeared indicates that you have technical alcohol in front of you. Ethyl alcohol, unlike methanol, should not emit any odor upon contact with the wire.

Symptoms and consequences

Symptoms that occur with methanol poisoning:

• painful breathing;
• Strong headache;
• pain in the abdomen and lower back;
• profuse vomiting;
• general malaise of the body;

It should be noted that the first symptoms of technical alcohol poisoning are similar to simple alcohol poisoning. However, in the case of methanol, the consequences will be comparable to a disaster. It very quickly destroys vision, the nervous system and blood vessels. Severe poisoning occurs when using only 5 - 10 ml of the substance. Death occurs from 30 or more milliliters of the substance.