Coma or death due to respiratory failure may occur in individuals exposed to high doses of methanol. Contact of skin with methanol can produce mild dermatitis. Birth defects, involving skeletal, cardiac, and urinary system deformities, have been observed in the offspring of rats exposed to methanol by inhalation. No information is available on the carcinogenic effects of methanol in humans or animals. EPA has not classified methanol with respect to carcinogenicity.
Methanol occurs as a flammable, mobile, colorless liquid that is miscible with water.
Uses Methanol is primarily used as an industrial solvent for inks, resins, adhesives, and dyes. It is also used as a solvent in the manufacture of cholesterol, streptomycin, vitamins, hormones, and other pharmaceuticals. Methanol is also an ingredient in paint and varnish removers. References U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.