Diethylene Glycol

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance: colorless viscous liquid. Caution! May cause eye and skin irritation. May be harmful if swallowed. May cause central nervous system depression. May cause kidney damage. Hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air). Target Organs: Kidneys, central nervous system, liver.

Potential health effects

Eye: May cause mild eye irritation. Skin: May cause mild skin irritation. May be absorbed through the skin. Passage of diethylene glycol into the body through the skin is possible, but it is unlikely that this would result in harmful effects during safe handling and use. Ingestion: May cause liver and kidney damage. May cause central nervous system depression, characterized by excitement, followed by headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea. Advanced stages may cause collapse, unconsciousness, coma and possible death due to respiratory failure. Human fatalities have been reported from acute poisoning. Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation. May be harmful if inhaled. Inhalation of heated or misted form may cause pulmonary edema. Chronic: Adverse reproductive effects have been reported in animals. A long term rat feeding study showed that 1% diethylene glycol in the diet over a 2-year period resulted in slight growth depression, a few calcium oxalate bladder stones, minimal kidney damage, and occasional liver damage. At 4% dietary level, there was increased mortality, a marked depression of growth rate, bladder stones, severe kidney damage, and moderate liver damage. In addition, bladder tumors appeared rather frequently.