Methanol in Drinks

Methanol Poisoning: What You Need to Know

Two Australian teenagers are severely ill in hospital in Thailand after experiencing suspected methanol poisoning while they were travelling in Laos.

Methanol versus Ethanol

Methanol is an alcohol like the familiar ethanol we consume in alcoholic beverages.

Like ethanol, methanol is a colourless, flammable liquid. It has a smell similar to ethanol as well.

But the two have different chemical structures. Methanol is composed of only one carbon atom, while ethanol has two.

What Makes Methanol Toxic?

The difference is in how methanol is metabolised, or broken down in our bodies.

Ethanol is metabolised into a chemical compound called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is toxic, but is rapidly converted to acetate (also known as acetic acid, found in vinegar). Generating an acid may sound bad, but acetate actually produces energy and makes important molecules in the body.

By contrast, methanol is metabolised into formaldehyde (a chemical used in industrial glues and for embalming corpses, for example) and then to formic acid (the chemical in some ant bites that makes them hurt so much).

Unlike acetate, which the body uses, formic acid poisons the mitochondria the powerhouses of the cells.

What Does Treatment Involve?

Treatment is mainly supportive care, such as intubation and mechanical ventilation to help the patient to breathe.

But it can also involve drugs such as fomepizole (which inhibits the generation of toxic formic acid) and dialysis to remove methanol and its metabolites from the body.

How Does Methanol Get into Alcoholic Drinks?

Methanol can turn up in any alcoholic beverage, but it’s most likely in beverages with higher alcohol content, such as spirits, and traditionally brewed drinks, such as fruit wines.

Methanol can get into alcoholic beverages in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s added deliberately and illegally during or after manufacturing as a cheaper way to increase the alcohol content in a drink.

Traditional brewing methods can also inadvertently generate methanol as well as ethanol and produce toxic levels of methanol depending on the microbes and the types of plant materials used in the fermentation process.

Conclusion

Methanol poisoning is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can occur when people consume contaminated or adulterated alcohol. It is essential to be aware of the risks and take steps to avoid methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol, particularly when travelling to areas where methanol-contaminated drinks may be more common.

FAQs

Q: What is methanol?

A: Methanol is an alcohol that is similar to ethanol, but has a different chemical structure and is more toxic.

Q: How does methanol get into alcoholic drinks?

A: Methanol can get into alcoholic drinks through deliberate or accidental contamination, or through traditional brewing methods that generate methanol as a byproduct.

Q: What are the symptoms of methanol poisoning?

A: The symptoms of methanol poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, depression of the central nervous system, and vision loss.

Q: How is methanol poisoning treated?

A: Methanol poisoning is typically treated with supportive care, such as intubation and mechanical ventilation, as well as medications such as fomepizole to inhibit the generation of toxic formic acid and dialysis to remove methanol and its metabolites from the body.