Abstract |
Methyl alcohol is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid. Traditionally it has been manufactured by the destructive distillation of wood. Modern manufacture is based on the catalytic reduction of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide with hydrogen. Some main uses of methyl alcohol are as a solvent, an antifreeze, and as a starting material for formaldehyde and other chemicals. Methyl alcohol poisoning occurs through inhalation of the vapor, although cases of poisoning through ingestion are not uncommon. Methyl alcohol emissions are estimated to be 1,242 million pounds/year, with solvent usage producing almost 90 percent of the total. Methyl alcohol is used as a solvent in many products including inks, dyes, water-proofing formulations and windshied cleaners. In addition, it is used throughout the chemical industry in extracting, washing, and crystallizing operations. Therefore, methyl alcohol emissions are produced by many small, geographically scattered sources. Two types of control devices presently used extensively by the industry to control hydrocarbon emissions are vapor recovery and incineration. Based on available health effects studies and expected maximum ambient concentrations presented in this report, it appears that methyl alcohol in air does not pose a health hazard to the general population nor does it pose other environmental hazards. It is, however, possible that consumer misuse of methyl alcohol, such as use in confined spaces, could cause untoward health effects on an individual basis. |