Ethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting diol used chiefly to make polyester fibers and as an ingredient in antifreeze.
Polyethylene terephthalate: A polyester polymer used in fibers, packaging, and beverage bottles. Ethylene glycol reacts with terephthalic acid or its derivatives to form this widely used polyester.
Ethylene glycol metabolism: The enzymatic conversion of ethylene glycol into glycolaldehyde, glycolate, glyoxylate, and oxalate. These transformations explain why the parent compound and its breakdown products differ in toxicity.
Ethylene glycol poisoning: A toxic condition caused by ingesting ethylene glycol or, rarely, absorbing substantial amounts by other routes. Its progression reflects both central nervous system effects and acidic toxic metabolites.
Charles Adolphe Wurtz: A French chemist whose work included the preparation of ethylene glycol in the nineteenth century. Wurtz reported the compound's preparation in 1856, early in the development of organic chemistry.
Polyester: A class of polymers whose backbones contain ester linkages. Ethylene glycol is a major building block for polyester fibers and resins.
Alcohol dehydrogenase: A family of enzymes that oxidizes alcohols using a nicotinamide cofactor. It initiates ethylene glycol breakdown by oxidizing the molecule to glycolaldehyde.
Fomepizole: A medication that inhibits alcohol dehydrogenase. It blocks the first major step in ethylene glycol metabolism during poisoning treatment.
Polyethylene terephthalate history: The development of polyethylene terephthalate from laboratory discovery to commercial polymer. Demand for this polyester helped make ethylene glycol a major industrial chemical.
Antifreeze: A fluid added to water or other coolants to lower freezing point and protect against corrosion. Ethylene glycol is a common base ingredient in automotive antifreeze.
Glycolic acid: The simplest alpha-hydroxy acid, also called hydroxyacetic acid. Its conjugate base, glycolate, is a major acidic metabolite in ethylene glycol poisoning.