What is Methanol? (MEoH)
NOTE: The information with page numbers below is taken directly from the MI (Methanol Institute)
Methanol Safe handling manual.
Methanol is a very important industrial solvent commercially produced in huge quantities primarily
from Natural Gas (Methane) or coal. It has very widely varying uses in industry (2.1) as a fuel, a fuel
additive, a chemical feed stock (Eg to produce formaldehyde) a solvent, a refrigerant, a component of
antifreeze and as a component of ASPARTAME! – spot the odd one out. Methanol has NEVER until
recently been intended nor seen as a food for human consumption. The MI Manual continues ( 2.1.4)
“Five overriding considerations are of paramount importance when handling methanol” Number 4)
states –Methanol is a toxin: ingestion of a small amount (between one and two ounces approx. 30 –
60ml) can cause DEATH; lesser amounts are known to cause irreversible blindness. Do not eat it,
drink it or stand over it” Another quote regarding the peril of consuming methanol is ( 4.1.5.2) ”The
amount of methanol that can cause severe methanol poisoning is very small: Assuming that 100%
methanol is swallowed, the poisonous dose is :For a one year old infant one teaspoon (4ml)
For a 3-year child one and a half teaspoons (6ml)
For an adult less than two tablespoons (28ml)
These figures are for acute exposures of one single dose of pure methanol, free methanol from
aspartame is administered differently - every day but in smaller doses this is classed as chronic
exposure. The MI comments on chronic Effects of methanol exposure (4.1.5.3)
“In contrast to the effects of acute high-level exposure, relatively little is known about the effects of
chronic low- level methanol exposure. Based on the limited number of case reports and
epidemiological studies, the effects of prolonged exposures to methanol are similar to those of acute
exposure.”
All this information is available publically in the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) from any
company supplying methanol for use, below are some extracts form an Mi members MSDS on
“potential Health Effects” (p2 of 8)” Ingestion - Ingestion may cause serious poisoning with effects
similar to those of inhalation and absorption through the skin. Toxic effects are more common after
ingestion; Death from as little as one ounce has been reported.”
“Summary of chronic Exposure - Methanol is slowly eliminated from the body; hence repeated
exposures may result in toxic levels in the blood and tissues. Due to its slow elimination, methanol
should be regarded as a cumulative poison”
The Methanol Institute (MI) is the trade association for the Methanol producers of the world and the
information above is current on their web-site, yet they are actively promoting pure Methanol as a
food product due to its use in aspartame – something is very wrong here, I have queried this with the
MI Vice President Communications and Policy, Mr Gregory Dolan who offered no comment. Also
with the Chairman of Methanex the world’s largest producer and key MI member – he never replied
and blocked my e-mails??
A summary of the less attractive characteristics of methanol is as follows:-
It is toxic if inhaled / absorbed through the skin or swallowed.
It can never be rendered non-toxic in humans.
It is only very slowly eliminated from the body.
Its metabolism follows Zero order of kinetics – irrespective of the amount consumed it
takes the same time to metabolise and cause damage. – Methanol poisoning.
It is a cumulative poison and should never be consumed in any amounts.
1 Tablespoon 10mls will make you blind - 3 Tablespoons 30mls can be lethal.
It is difficult to imagine why the MI is promoting methanol as a food product whilst at the
same time gives out specific warnings not to consume it, I was 35 years in the chemical
industry and Methanol was never recommended for human consumption – I believe there is
some serious misinformation being handed out here.
To put methanol in the body into perspective;
We can see from the methanol manufacturers warnings above the metabolism of Pure
methanol is highly toxic in humans it causes methanol poisoning even in very small chronic
doses and should never be consumed, Methanol is found naturally in the fruits and vegetables
we eat and in the gut as food for certain organisms. It is a fact that no one has ever been
found to be suffering methanol poisoning from either of these sources - surely vegetarians
and vegans would be first in-line. It can be concluded therefore that the body has the ability
to handle the metabolism of Natural methanol quite safely. In 1983 COT /FSA approved
aspartame as a food additive and so introduced a third form of methanol into our diets – Free
methanol. This methanol is identical to Pure methanol and is converted from the 10% methyl
ester in aspartame, it is metabolised by the body in the same way as Pure methanol so has the
potential to cause methanol poisoning.
How does methanol poison us? - “Methanol can never be rendered non-toxic in man”
(MSDS)
The human body has absolutely no defence against the deadly consequences of ingesting
either Pure or Free methanol; On ingestion the methanol has no alternative but to follow its
metabolic pathway from Methanol > Formaldehyde > Formic acid > Co2 > H2o It is the
formaldehyde and Formic acid which damage the body and causes the symptoms of methanol
poisoning e.g. formaldehyde is a carcinogen and an embalming fluid- it kills living tissue,
Formic acid is responsible for causing the trademark symptom of methanol poisoning blindness.
How does Natural methanol prevent us from being poisoned?
Methanol in nature is never found alone it is always accompanied by an inhibitor which
prevents the metabolic process starting, the most common inhibitor is Ethanol; in simple
terms the inhibitor “hangs on to” the methanol molecule and prevents it breaking Free to
metabolise, (see above) it does not therefore metabolise into the damaging formaldehyde or
Formic acid. In this way it gives the body time to time to clear the methanol without harm.
The cumulative effect
Pure and Free methanol are silent killers operating at molecular level to destroy the very
fabric of our minds and body; being a cumulative poison, daily drip feeding ourselves with
daily doses of free methanol from aspartame is the worst possible scenario for accumulation
to take place. The metabolism of methanol follows zero order of kinetics, this means that
irrespective of the size of the dose, it takes the same amount of time to clear from the body
which could be up to 36hrs. Therefore, even the tiny amounts of free methanol delivered
from aspartame have all the time needed to cause molecular damage every day adding to the
cumulative effect and serious long term methanol poisoning.
Everyone is different and there is a wide variance of individual tolerance to methanol
poisoning, the range is very wide; symptoms can take from 3months to 20yrs. to appear. We
believe that the cases of anecdotal evidence witnessed in the US and now here in the UK are
due accumulated methanol poisoning.
NOTE:
The ADI for aspartame in the US is 50mg/kg ours is 40mg/kg, therefore for the last 27yrs or
so the American people have been consuming 25% more free methanol than us; This
accounts for the fact that they experienced the adverse effects much quicker and more severe
than we have – we are now catching up.