I guess this is a little OT, but since this is the Water Cooled board...

Everyone knows coolant is "toxic", but how bad is it REALLY?

If some splashes on your face and a drop gets in your mouth, do you need to go to the ER or something?

I've always managed to avoid getting too much on me, but I was just curious if anyone had any info or interesting first-hand experience...

Thanks!

Jeff

 

This was my experience while replacing a HG. Convinced that I shouldn't be drinking this stuff...

 

It's a toxin to the liver. A single drop won't do you any harm, the biggest threat is to animals drinking it in a gutter after it's been drained.

 

Well, it is an interesting question. Honestly it will probably take from 1/4 - 1/2 of a cup to make you seriously ill. I've accidentally swallowed some while working on my 951 and I'm still around to tell about it.
The most interesting part however, is the treatment. Basically they get you really really drunk, or at least that's what I have been told. Something about the ethylene glycol being metabolized into some some alcohol, and if you ingest enough ethanol it will flush it out. Sounds interesting to me at least.

 

I can definately handle that treatment myself at home!


Someone should publish a book of exactly much danger is envolved with each substance you're likely to come across working on a car.

I bet that weird black dust that 20+ year old Porsche foam rubber turns into is good for your lungs...

 

Anything that permanently deters the neighbor's cat from crapping on my back porche by the door can't be all bad. It's mean stuff...don't let your dog lap it or you'll have either a dead dog or a vet bill...or both.

H2

 

I'm sure I have probably gotten a few drops in my mouth before and I am still alive. Even my friend got a good splash in his mouth and it didn't do anything to him. However I still don't recommend drinking any, I am sure a good amount would probably make you pretty sick.

 

Well there's a line you don't hear everyday...

 

It goes great with some grocery store brand Vodka - other than that, don't drink it. Seriously, a few drops wont make you violenty ill per se, but don't go taste testing the different brands out there. To animals, they are attacted to the sweetness and as the once mighty mouse can attest, will result in a nice case of rigor mortis.

 

Same with pets, they get an IV of vodka for three days. One teaspoon will kill them. Their liver and kidneys would rather metabolize the vodka, and pass the ethylene glycol. Animals are more deterred from the used stuff than the fresh, as the used contains odors from hoses, combustion etc.

 

...goes good with an aqua velva shooter....

 

Mice aren't as stupid as humans, he didn't actually drink any, he just drowned...

 

Yeah, it will kill you, if you drink a fair amount of it. A few drops won't cause harm. It has a sweet taste to it apparently, thats why you have ot dispose of coolant properly, or animals will get to it. I have had relatively warm, (probably around 90 degrees F), shot into my eye. Thats no fun, but better than gasoline in the eye.

 

A quick Google search on the subject:

Here is a reference to an “expert” who should know how much it takes to kill a human.
http://www.courttv.com/trials/turner..._randy_ap.html

It is certainly not good for pets either.
http://www.ddal.org/antifreeze/news/

And lastly there are alternatives (propylene glycol). At some car shows I have seen fish actually swim around in that stuff and looked (as) happy (as fish can look).
http://www.sierraantifreeze.com/benefit.html

 

It does taste somewhat sweet, from experience. Just after pulling the drain plug (antifreeze got on my hands) I hit my knuckles on something and it's sort of a reflex to immediately put finger in your mouth when it's hurt.