Distinguish methyl. On the dangers of methyl alcohol and the simplest methods for determining methanol in vodka

Using various alcohol-containing liquids, addicts often end up in intensive care with symptoms.

Poisoning occurs with an overdose of strong drinks, drinking prohibited surrogate liquids.

Long-awaited meetings, feasts sometimes turn out to be fatal if you don’t know what is poured in bottles bought at dubious outlets, from resellers.

To avoid death, you will have to figure out how to distinguish ethanol from methanol at home.

What is the difference between ethyl and methyl alcohol

Methanol and ethyl alcohol are two liquids that are quite similar in appearance, but differ in composition.

The first refers to technical alcohols, the second belongs to the group of food, medical.

The effect of ethanol and methanol on the human body is completely different:

1. The medical preparation is used for disinfection. In small doses, it is able to have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, reduces the production of hormones. When the dose is exceeded, it causes a narcotic effect, leading to the development of dependence.
2. Methanol has a toxic effect on anyone who takes the substance inside. A highly toxic agent causes paralysis of the nervous system. At the use of 30 ml of liquid the lethal outcome is possible.

Both alcohols are colorless and smell the same. They refract light with the same refractive index and have the same density.

It is difficult for an experienced specialist in appearance outside the laboratory to distinguish between them, and ordinary users do not at all know how to distinguish between ethanol and methanol.

Often liquids are sold by unknown sellers without labels, therefore, in order to avoid intoxication or premature death, you will have to learn how to recognize methyl alcohol in alcohol. In a laboratory, such a service costs a lot, which strains the addicts.

In such cases, proven methods are suitable for how to distinguish ethanol from methanol at home. A few simple steps, simple equipment can avoid trouble.

Ways to distinguish between ethanol and methanol at home

You can conduct an experiment at home and observe the interaction of ethanol with methanol, when, under the appropriate conditions, ethyl methyl ether is formed.

However, it is much more useful to learn how to determine methyl alcohol (methyl) in alcohol.

There are many ways to spot differences. Home experiments do not require laboratory equipment, expensive reagents, special skills or knowledge in the field of chemistry.

Samples performed in your own kitchen are very useful. They revealed the truth to more than one hundred addicts and saved their lives.

Ignition

Many believe that an extremely accurate way to determine methyl alcohol in alcohol, vodka at home is to set fire to liquids.

The method, though not the only one, but true. For the experiment, you will need a regular tablespoon. Alcohol is collected in it, which is to be identified.

A lit match is brought to a liquid that instantly ignites.

Pay attention to the color of the fire. If the flames turn greenish, then methyl alcohol has been delivered for examination. When igniting ethanol, the fire appears bluish.

Boiling temperature

Those who have a thermometer know how to test vodka, cognac, alcohol or other alcohol for methanol at home, measuring the boiling point of liquids.

The manipulation is performed almost instantly. The purchased liquid is poured into a refractory dish, brought to a boil.

When bubbles appear on the surface, measurements will have to be taken. Ethanol boils at a temperature of 78ºС, and technical alcohol (methanol) requires a much lower temperature - 64ºС.

hot wire

A quick way to determine methanol (methyl alcohol) in alcohol is to use a hot wire.

The test material must be copper. The wire is preheated strongly on fire and immediately lowered into cold alcohol.

As a result of the reaction of the interaction of two substances, a gas with a characteristic odor is released. When copper reacts with medical alcohol, a person smells the aroma of apples or vinegar.

If the wire is dipped into technical methyl alcohol or a surrogate liquid with its addition, the researcher will experience an unpleasant odor, indicating that technical formalin vapors are released, causing asphyxiation and poisoning.

Potato

It is possible to carry out the determination of methanol in alcohol using an ordinary raw potato. The tuber will first have to be cleaned, washed, dried with a napkin.

The potato is then immersed in the liquid. Soon the tuber turns pink if methyl alcohol is present in the test drink.

Once in ethyl, it will not change color or turn slightly blue.

This is the easiest way to detect, reliably detect methyl alcohol in alcohol, but you need to wait a couple of hours to get accurate results.

Symptoms of technical alcohol poisoning

Having learned that methyl alcohol and surrogate alcoholic drinks containing it in the composition are a toxic substance, it is unlikely that they remained unaware of whether it is possible to drink methanol.

Its symptoms depend on the amount of liquid consumed:

• nausea, vomiting;
• unbearable headache;
• cramps in the stomach;
• visual impairment or loss;
• drowsiness;
• convulsions;
• stun.

Conclusion

It is necessary to immediately call the resuscitation team.

In the absence of help, irreversible changes in the body occur or the feast ends with a fatal outcome.

Video: Is it possible to distinguish hazardous methanol from ethyl alcohol?

The victims in Krasnoyarsk were not poisoned by singed vodka, not at all - people bought a more expensive drink, Jack Daniel's American whiskey. The examination found that the alcohol contained deadly methyl alcohol.

And here we are no longer dealing with an ordinary fake, not with the issuance of cheaper alcohol instead of a branded branded drink, but with bottles where low-quality alcohol was poured, possibly made in artisanal conditions.

Where does methyl alcohol come from in alcohol?

Methyl alcohol is found in almost all strong alcoholic drinks. But it is contained in them in very small quantities - from 100 to 300 milligrams of methanol per liter. But this dose can be exceeded if the strong drink is distilled at home.

When distilling the distillate, the so-called “head” is separated - which includes poisonous alcohols, acetone, including methanol. It is also contained in the "tail" fractions, in the distillate, the strength of which is greatly reduced, as well as the quality. The danger is that the tail fractions smell almost the same as the middle fractions - a good and strong distillate. But the “head” smells noticeably of acetone. That is why it is important to follow the technological process of distillation of moonshine and rectification of alcohol, to wean heads and tails.

Also, methanol can be added to alcoholic beverages to increase their strength and "pick". And this is much more dangerous than unscrupulous and illegal distillation of alcohol, since the concentration of methanol in the bottle is greatly increased.

How to tell if there is methanol in a bottle

Without chemical analysis, only in an organoleptic way - nothing. The fact is that methanol is similar to ethyl alcohol, so there will be no sharp smell or taste in a drink with methyl impurities.

At home, they advise you to try to set fire to the liquid, but we want to disappoint: methyl alcohol burns very similar to ethyl alcohol, besides, in its pure form, you still won’t meet it in a bottle of alcohol, so it’s useless.

One of the most reliable ways is to heat up a copper wire and dip it into a drink. Methyl, when heated sharply, decomposes into formaldehydes (the strongest poison, in fact, it is the decomposition products of methanol that we poison ourselves with). If a sharp unpleasant odor appears, it means that methanol is present in the drink. Ethyl alcohol does not produce a strong odor when heated.

How to avoid buying "scorched" alcohol

Choose civilized places of trade, well-known stores where they are responsible for the products. In the end, they can be taken to court, in the worst case.

Take a close look at the bottle:

• the cork must be intact, the tightness of the bottle must not be broken
• labels must be intact and even
• excise stamps must be affixed to the bottle
• on the back label there should be a sticker with the coordinates of the manufacturer and importer
• most bottles have a cork packed in plastic, and the brand name is on the plastic wrap. It must not be damaged.

The price should not be low; before buying, you can check how much alcohol of the selected brand should cost.

Most of the bottles of foreign and domestic manufacturers are protected with convex and concave inscriptions, coats of arms, holograms, embossed labels and other things. Information about this can be found on the Internet. But knowing all these nuances will not give you a guarantee against poisoning: it is really very expensive to make bottles for counterfeit alcohol on your own, instead, criminals get the original containers, which are left in large quantities at bars and restaurants after holidays and organizing weddings.

The first signs of poisoning

Poisoning with methyl alcohol manifests itself 8-12 hours after its use. The first signs: headache, weakness, vomiting, blurred vision, blurred vision, flickering before the eyes. There may be loss of color vision as well as blindness.

First aid measures

Be sure to see a doctor. Urgently!

Get out into fresh air, induce vomiting, take a laxative.

Keep any leftover alcohol that you suspect has been poisoning you. They will be needed to accurately identify toxic substances.

We all know what alcoholic drinks are made of, that they contain some kind of alcoholic alcohol.

Do you know what ethyl or methanol is? And how to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol?

You will find answers to these questions below.

So let's find a definition for each of these alcohols.

Ethyl alcohol, it is also called drinking, medical or food alcohol. It has the chemical formula C2H5OH (also known as ethanol), and is the basis of almost all high-quality alcoholic beverages.

There are cases in different countries around the world (including the Russian Federation) of poisoning with low-quality alcoholic beverages. Not only cases when people remain disabled (for example, completely lose their sight), but also deaths are not rare.

During the Soviet Union, there was even a poster showing a worker wearing black glasses and holding a blind man's cane. The inscription on the poster read - “Do not drink industrial alcohol! You will go blind!

Surrogates or low-quality drinks with a high alcohol content are created on the basis of methanol. It is an alcohol with a high methanol content. It has the chemical formula CH3OH.

Unlike ethyl, methyl is a poison for humans. That is why it is very important to know how to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol without having special devices at hand in normal home conditions.

Ethanol

It is also called food, because if it gets inside the body of a living being, there will be no consequences for the human and other organisms. All this only works with a reasonable and limited hit.

In small doses, ethanol is able to stimulate the human central nervous system, helps to produce hormones that affect the brain. It has a drug-like effect.

In the case of abuse of food alcohol, dependence on it occurs.

Medical alcohol is used in the pharmaceutical industry, for the production of medical products, for the production of alcoholic beverages, in paint and varnish products, for the production of cosmetics, household and cleaning products.

In case of poisoning with ethyl alcohol, the first aid scheme is simple - try to induce vomiting, rinse the stomach, be sure to call an ambulance. Before the ambulance arrives, give food charcoal (activated).

Methyl alcohol

It is popularly called technical, since it is not used anywhere except for technical purposes. It is mainly used to produce a variety of solvents, technical liquids, formaldehydes, for dyes of organic origin, glass.

We can find methyl or methanol in our usual “washer” for car glass. The production of alcoholic beverages using methyl alcohol is strictly prohibited!

How to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol at home?

So, how to determine methyl alcohol at home, is it in alcohol or any other composition or not?

You can't rely on sight or smell alone. Both alcohols are a colorless liquid, have a similar taste and aroma (in methyl alcohol, however, it is not so saturated).

If you are a chemist or were fond of this science, you can determine by smell whether there is a toxic liquid in the composition or not.

There are several options:

1. You will need peeled potatoes. investigated liquid. Potatoes must be completely immersed in liquid. If it contains methanol, the potato will turn pink. If the potato is blue or remains unchanged, you have medical or food alcohol.
2. You can check with fire. Set fire to the liquid and observe what color the flame is. If it's blue, it's food, if it's green, it's methyl.
3. Heat the test liquid in a metal container. Measure the boiling point. Technical methanol has a boiling point of 64 degrees. Food ethanol boils at 78 degrees.
4. With the help of a copper wire, which must be set on fire and immersed in the test liquid. If it contains at least a small amount of CH3OH, a strong unpleasant odor will immediately appear (it can be compared with the smell of slightly spoiled apples or vinegar aroma). Ethanol doesn't smell like that.
5. Drop a small amount of regular baking soda into the test liquid. Mix thoroughly. Observe if there is a sediment in the liquid? What is he? If a yellow precipitate remains and does not dissolve, this means that the vessel contains ethanol, which gives this precipitate when reacting with iodine. If the baking soda has completely dissolved and the liquid has become transparent, you have a vessel with a high content of methanol in its composition.

The quality of methyl alcohol (and not only technical) can also be determined using the "Lang test". For this study, take 50 ml of alcohol, previously poured into a dish that can be heated, as well as 2 ml of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

You can pre-prepare a solution of potassium permanganate - 0.2 g of the dry mixture must be diluted in distilled water.

Heat the test liquid to 18 degrees Celsius, pour in the potassium permanganate solution and shake thoroughly. Next, it is necessary to consider the time during which the color of the liquid changes from a saturated almost black to a yellowish pink hue.

The Lang test will show how good the alcohol is. The better the quality, the longer the process of how the shade changes will be. The test is considered passed if the liquid has become discolored after at least 10 minutes of testing.

Unfortunately, all methods for detecting CH3OH in a liquid only work if there is more than half of the total volume there.

If you want to buy alcohol and there are doubts about the composition, we still recommend that you purchase such drinks only in stores that inspire confidence. Much more likely to find a fake in small questionable points of sale.

What are the symptoms of poisoning when drinking drinks with a high content of methanol?

Many of us are familiar with the symptoms of alcohol poisoning (some hearsay, and some personally felt them). The most common are abdominal pain, frequent vomiting, severe headache, dizziness, lethargy, general malaise.

Unfortunately, the consequences of methanol poisoning are quite serious - from 5-10 ml of technical liquid, severe poisoning appears.

Departure symptoms- Vomiting, shortness of breath, pain throughout the body, blurred vision up to complete blindness. 30 ml of methanol can be fatal.

CH3OH is a very strong poison. After it enters the human body, it poisons him. There is a slight narcotic effect, which has absolutely nothing to do with alcohol intoxication.

Methanol in the body decomposes to formaldehyde, then turns into formic acid, which reacts with proteins, thereby disrupting the retina.

All these processes contribute to the fact that a person loses sight. Methanol affects the composition of the blood, hypoxia occurs.

Alcohol poisoning, which leads to blindness or death, most often occurs due to ignorance of how to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol. In 2012, mass poisoning with counterfeit alcohol occurred in the Czech Republic. The event received great publicity due to the number of victims: 38 people died (the youngest was 16 years old), more than 50 received serious health problems, of which 7 became blind, and three had a significantly disrupted nervous system. The tragedy repeated itself in Russia on New Year's Eve 2016: the workers of one of the fish processing plants, having discovered an ownerless container with liquid, decided to drink it. As a result, three people died immediately, the remaining 8 people were hospitalized in serious condition.

Methanol and its action

The culprit of fatal poisoning and disability - (or industrial alcohol, methanol). A poisonous liquid is practically no different from a food product, they can be easily confused.

Methyl alcohol is used in industry:

• To obtain formaldehyde;
• In the paint and varnish industry for the production of solvents;
• As a component of windscreen cleaning fluid for cars;
• As an additive in engine fuel.

Also, racing cars and motorcycles are filled with methyl alcohol.

It is almost impossible to distinguish ethyl (food) alcohol from its technical counterpart. Both liquids belong to the group of monohydric alcohols. The color and taste are the same, there is a slight difference in the smell: in methyl it is slightly less pronounced.

But it is unlikely that someone who is not a specialist can "smell" the difference. Therefore, fatal errors occur so often when drinking alcohol.

However, there are cases of conscious use of methyl. In some people, due to the resistance of the body, drinking poisonous alcohol passes without a trace, which is the source of false rumors about the alleged harmlessness of methanol.

In fact, methyl is the strongest poison that can, at best, make you crippled, and at worst, lead to death. After entering the gastrointestinal tract, industrial alcohol begins to have a toxic effect after an hour: the victim receives a narcotic effect that has nothing to do with ordinary intoxication. A particular danger when taking methanol lies in its slow decomposition process compared to food alcohol: the rate is 5-6 times lower.

First, methanol decomposes to formaldehyde, which then transforms into formic acid. Part of it reacts with proteins, disrupting the biochemical processes in the retina. As a result, the person becomes blind. Formic acid, being in the body for a long time, is the cause of severe acidosis. And undecomposed methanol neutralizes many vital processes: it affects hemoglobin and cell components. As a result, the supply of tissues with oxygen stops, hypoxia occurs.

Signs of poisoning and measures of help

The decay products of methyl alcohol remain in the body for 3-4 days, are excreted very slowly: 60% is excreted during breathing and only approximately 10% in the urine. The kidneys remove methanol on average within three days, formic acid - even longer - about a week.

The severity of the consequences of poisoning depends on the dose taken and the strength of the body. To get poisoned, it is not necessary only to drink adulterated alcohol. It is enough to inhale vapors or allow close contact with the skin. Symptoms of intoxication appear 7-12 hours after drinking. The main symptom is visual impairment: a veil, flickering flies. If you do not take action in time, the person will go blind.

Poisoning can be recognized by:

• Weakness, nausea and vomiting;
• Blueness of the skin and mucous membranes;
• Difficulty breathing;
• severe headache;
• convulsions;
• Tachycardia.

To prevent drinking from turning into a tragedy, you must remember:

• Do not drink suspicious liquid;
• Do not drink in the company of strangers;
• Buy alcohol only in licensed stores.

If, nevertheless, an accident has occurred, it is necessary to call an ambulance as soon as possible, and also take independent measures:

• Induce vomiting, do gastric lavage;
• Give activated charcoal.

The antidote of methyl alcohol is food grade. Therefore, it is recommended to drink the victim with ethyl alcohol or inject it intravenously.

But this should be done only with absolute certainty that the cause of the ailment is methanol poisoning. Otherwise, confusing the state with the usual intoxication with vodka, you can aggravate the situation of the victim.

How to test methyl alcohol

Due to the almost one hundred percent similarity of the two liquids, it is very difficult to determine by eye which of them is poisonous. Especially if you do it at home.

However, there are several ways to identify poison:

1. With copper wire. It is necessary to twist a thin copper rod into a spiral and heat it white on fire. Then lower it into a bowl with the liquid being tested, and, taking it out, sniff the fumes, making forward movements with your hand towards your nose. Methyl alcohol will give itself out as an unpleasant, pungent smell of formaldehyde. A slight smell of rotten apples will come from ethyl.
2. You can determine methyl alcohol at home by boiling point. Pour the liquid into a metal vessel and heat it over a fire. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the special thermometer and check the readings. The boiling point of methanol is almost 65 °, more precisely - 64.7 ° C. Ethyl alcohol has a higher boiling point - 78.4 ° C.
3. It is easy to recognize methyl alcohol by the flame - what color it will burn. Pour liquid into two metal bowls and set on fire. Poisonous methyl alcohol burns greenish, while ethyl alcohol will be bluish.
4. If you are afraid of experience with fire, it is possible to test the liquid with the help of potatoes. Immerse a piece of peeled root crop for several hours in the test liquid. Changed color and became pinkish - in front of you is methyl alcohol, remained unchanged - in a bowl of food.

However, it should be remembered that all such experiments are possible only for concentrated pure liquids. It is impossible to determine the presence of methanol in the mixture. There is only one proven method for this: if the origin of the liquid that smells of alcohol is unclear, it should never be drunk.

Everything happens mainly due to inattention or carelessness. Only a few can risk playing Russian roulette with him. If you want to keep your eyesight and stay alive, remember that you can't drink everything that burns. It is necessary to check the origin of the drink by conducting simple experiments. If they do not help, throw away the bottle without regret. Remember about health!

What are the differences between methyl and ethyl alcohols? This question can be addressed to the specialists of the chemical laboratory, who, in turn, will present a great amount of information that will not be understood by an ordinary person with basic knowledge. In fact, there is a huge difference between these two types of product, although they belong to the same class of organic chemistry - the group of alcohols. Let's leave the scientific point of view in place and move on to everyday issues ...

How to tell the difference between methyl and ethyl alcohol?

Methyl alcohol (CH3OH), you can often hear the name "methanol", in terms of visual characteristics it does not differ much from ethyl alcohol. It consists of a colorless liquid with a less pronounced but similar odour. Only by the first signs can methyl and ethyl alcohols be confused. Methanol can also act as a fuel, but it has not gained much popularity in this area due to a significant drawback - the ignition temperature of methanol is too low, the content of strong and harmful poisons, alcohol is able to draw liquid. Methanol, unlike ethanol, is a life-threatening poison! When ingested, thirty grams of this alcohol can cause blindness, and fifty grams will lead to the death of the victim.
Ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH). In simple terms, this is "ethanol" simple drinking alcohol. Taking in small doses, it serves as a dope for the human nervous system. Ethanol has the following properties:
- flammable.
- has a disinfecting effect.
- Much lighter than water.
Ethyl alcohol has been widely used both as an alcoholic product and in industrial terms, cosmetics, cleaning products and many other areas surrounding a person.
Generally speaking, ethanol has received the widest use in production and everyday life, earning the status of the most valuable raw material. In addition, work is underway to replace gasoline and a number of other petroleum products used as fuel with ethyl alcohol.
Comparative characteristics of methyl and ethyl alcohols.
Unfortunately, there are no simple ways to distinguish methanol from ethanol. They are so similar in smell, taste and smell that only a highly skilled worker in the chemical industry can identify it by one species.
Along with this, there are a number of simple experiments that a person can conduct without leaving home. This may require the following: a burner, a container (metal), copper wire, a transparent test tube, or dishes, a thermometer (thermometer).
All of the above items can be easily found in stores.

Consider ways to recognize these two alcohols:

The first way: It is necessary to install a metal container with the tested alcohol on the burner, then measure the temperature at which this liquid begins to boil. Methyl alcohol will begin to boil at a temperature equal to sixty-four degrees Celsius. Ethyl alcohol, in turn, will begin to boil at seventy-eight degrees Celsius.
The second method: It is necessary to heat the copper wire to white and place it in a bowl with the alcohol to be tested. After removing it from the container with alcohol, it is necessary to determine the smell of the gas that evaporates from the wire (it is necessary to carry out translational movements with the palms to the nose area). When you smell the aroma of rotten apples, you can confidently say that we have ethanol. If, on the contrary, the smell is annoyingly unpleasant and sharp - methanol.
It is worth noting that these methods can be carried out in relation to alcohols with a high concentration.
Based on the experiments, we can safely say that you should not take alcohol of unknown origin!

A few more ways to determine the difference between alcohols.

- The origin of the origin. It is necessary to purchase goods in stores that do not put you at risk of purchasing counterfeit products. It is better to buy products in specialized alcohol stores, and not at points of sale that cause you doubt.
- Ignition method. With this method, everything is pretty simple. It is necessary to set fire to the test liquid and observe the color of the flame during combustion. You will see a blue flame - in front of you is ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol burns with a green flame.
- How to test potatoes. A small piece of potato is placed in a bath with alcohol for several hours. If the potato acquires a pinkish hue, we can understand that we have methyl alcohol in front of us. If the potato remains without a change in color characteristics, we can say with accuracy that we have ethyl alcohol in front of us.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning.
The following symptoms can serve as methanol poisoning: nausea and vomiting, malaise, difficulty breathing, feeling lethargic and powerless, severe headache.
These signs are similar to those of ethanol poisoning and are often confused. But in cases of methanol poisoning, the outcome is most serious. Methyl instantly begins to destroy the vascular, visual and nervous systems of the human body.
In cases where, after drinking alcohol, a person becomes ill, you need to urgently call an ambulance.