Abstract
Ethylene glycol (CH2OH)2, is a colourless, odourless, water-soluble liquid that has a variety of commercial applications. It is, however, most commonly used as an antifreeze fluid to protect car radiators. Its sweet taste and ready availability have contributed to its popularity as a suicide agent and as a poor man’s substitute for alcohol. Ethylene glycol came into widespread use in the 1920s and the first case of poisoning was described in 1930. The toxicity of the glycols was, however, not fully appreciated until 1937 when 76 people died following the use of an elixir of surphanilamide which contained 72 per cent diethy-lene glycol. Even in 1969 seven children died in Cape Town as a result of the ingestion of a hypnotic containing this substance.
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Vale, J.A., Meredith, T.J. (1981). Ethylene Glycol Poisoning. In: Vale, J.A., Meredith, T.J. (eds) Poisoning Diagnosis and Treatment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-6763-5_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-6763-5_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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