Chemical Education Today

www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 83 No. 8 August 2006 • Journal of Chemical Education 1131

“Only when you know the hazards, can you take the necessary precautionary measures.”

Methanol CH3OH CAS No.: 67-56-1Synonyms: Methyl Alcohol, Wood Alcohol, Carbinol

Physical Properties Exposure LimitsColorless, volatile liquid with a characteristic odorVapor pressure at 20 °C: 98 torr OSHA PEL: 200 ppmMelting point: �98 °C ACGIH TLV: 200 ppmBoiling point: 65 °C

Hazardous CharacteristicsOverall Flamma- Destructive Absorbed Sensi- Self- Incompatible with:toxicity bility to skin/eye through skin? tizer? reactive? Aluminum, magnesium, potassium, oxidizing

3 4 3 Yes No No agents such as the halogens, hydrogenperoxide, nitric acid, chlorates, perchlorates*

0: None (or very low); 1: Slight; 2: Moderate; 3: High; 4: Severe.

*Reactivity HazardsFinely divided metals such as those named will, when wet with methanol, explode upon ignition. Methanol reacts vigorouslyand/or explosively with a variety of oxidizing agents. See Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards for details and forother incompatibilities.

Cited as known to be or reasonably Identified as a reproductive toxin in Frazier and Hage,anticipated to be carcinogenic in NTP-11? No Reproductive Hazards of the Workplace? Insufficient data

Typical symptoms of acute exposures:If inhaled or on the skin, headache, nausea, dizziness, vision impairment, vomiting, slurred speech, intoxication. Addition-ally, if on the skin, inflammation, absorption. In the eyes, irritation, pain, vision impairment. If ingested, headache,dizziness, slurred speech, intoxication, blindness, death.

Principal target organ(s) or system(s):Central nervous system, brain, liver, kidneys, optic nerve, eyes.

Storage Requirements

Store with other flammable, combustible poisons separated from oxidizing agents and ignition sources in a cool, dry, well-ventilated,locked location.

Additional RemarksAt ordinary temperatures, the vapor pressure of methanol is approximately 120,000 ppm and therefore greatly exceeds the limitsestablished by OSHA and ACGIH. Accordingly, users will be likely to be over-exposed to the vapors of this compound unless appro-priate precautions are rigidly maintained; see the MSDS for details.

Further, if you can smell methanol, its concentration in the air you are breathing is approximately 2000 ppm, or greater, and thereforeexceeds the OSHA and ACGIH limits. The vapor is more dense than air; it is explosive when mixed with air; the vapor will travellong distances and collect in low-lying and/or poorly ventilated locations.

NotesReadMeThis Chemical Laboratory Information Profile is not a Material Safety Data Sheet. It is a brief summary for teachers and theirstudents that describes some of the hazards of this chemical as it is typically used in laboratories. On the basis of your knowledge ofthese hazards and before using or handling this chemical, you need to select the precautions and first-aid procedures to be followed. Forthat information as well as for other useful information, refer to Material Safety Data Sheets, container labels, and references in thescientific literature that pertain to this chemical.

Reproductive ToxinsSome substances that in fact are reproductive toxins are not yet recognized as such. For the best readily available and up-to-dateinformation, refer to “DART/ETIC”. See the TOXNET home page at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/. Note that some of the data in DART/ETIC have not been peer-reviewed. See also Frazier, Linda M.; Hage, Marvin L. Reproductive Hazards of the Workplace; Wiley: NewYork, 1998; and Shepard, T. H. Catalog of Teratogenic Agents, 9th ed.; Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD, 1998.

AbbreviationsACGIH TLV—American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists–Threshold Limit Value. C—Ceiling. CAS—ChemicalAbstracts Service. mg/m3—milligrams per cubic meter. NA—Not applicable. NE—Not established. NI—No information.NTP-11—National Toxicology Program, Eleventh Annual Report on Carcinogens. OSHA PEL—Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration–Permissible Exposure Limit. ppm—parts per million. STEL/C—Short-term exposure limit and ceiling.

Prepared by: Jay A. Young Date of preparation: July 24, 2005

CLIP, Chemical Laboratory Information Profile