
The time it takes for the first symptom to appear varies. Your body slowly begins to react to the antifreeze in your system. But the situation isn’t that simple.Īs your body absorbs or metabolizes antifreeze, the chemical is converted into other toxic substances such as: If you feel fine, you may even brush off the incident as nothing more than a close call. Given this possibility, it’s important to recognize symptoms of antifreeze poisoning.Īntifreeze poisoning can happen gradually over several hours, so you may not have symptoms immediately after ingesting the chemical. This can happen when antifreeze is poured into a glass or another type of drink container and mistaken for a beverage.

But it’s also possible to accidentally drink the chemical. There are different explanations for why someone might ingest antifreeze. It only takes a small amount of antifreeze to poison the human body and cause life-threatening complications. On the other hand, ethylene glycol and methanol are hazardous and poisonous if ingested. It isn’t considered harmful in small amounts, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Propylene glycol is also an ingredient in some foods and cosmetics. Although water-based, antifreeze also contains liquid alcohols like ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and methanol. Pesticides - reproductive health.Antifreeze is a liquid that prevents the radiator in cars from freezing or overheating. Environmental Protection Agency 2013:173-187.Ĭenters for Disease Control and Prevention. In: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings. Long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide (superwarfarin) poisoning: a review of its historical development, epidemiology, and clinical management. 2017 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 35th annual report. A successfully treated case of criminal thallium poisoning. Yumoto T, Tsukahara K, Naito H, Iida A, Nakao A.

Human bromethalin exposures reported to a U.S. Huntington S, Fenik Y, Vohra R, Geller RJ. First aid interventions by laypeople for acute oral poisoning. CONTRAC All-Weather BLOX.Īvau B, Borra V, Vanhove AC, Vandekerckhove P, De Paepe P, De Buck E. Effects of bromadiolone poisoning on the central nervous system. Wang M, Yang Y, Hou Y, Ma W, Jia R, Chen J. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing 2022. Recognition and management of pesticide poisonings: rodenticides.
