Alcohol for disinfection one character difference is fatal February 19 19:19
Alcohol that is said to be effective in disinfecting the new coronavirus. But do you know the difference between ethanol and methanol? It is dangerous if you use the same alcohol but misuse it. This is the alcohol torset that I want to know now. (Akihiko Kanno, Asako Wada, Kobe Broadcaster, Risa Ubayashi, Network Press)
Perhaps you made a mistake?
This photo was taken by a manicurist in Tokyo who felt uncomfortable when entering a drugstore in Okayama.
Bottles of "glycerin", "anhydrous ethanol", and "citric acid" arranged in order from the left. I was worried about the empty space on the right side.
The price tag is "350 yen for fuel alcohol", indicating that the product has run out of stock.
"Maybe you make a mistake?"
Jobs and women familiar with disinfecting alcohol know that absolute ethanol can be used for disinfection if diluted, and that cheap alcohol for fuel uses harmful methanol and should not be used for disinfection.
However, as the infection of the new coronavirus spread without knowing it, I thought that a lot of people bought "cheap" alcohol for disinfection and posted it on SNS.
Desperately reprimanded
Some people still wanted to buy methanol for fuel for disinfection.
"The last time I desperately stopped a customer who was buying methanol for disinfection."
A woman working at a dispensing pharmacy in the Chugoku region posted this on Twitter: The woman explained the difference from ethanol because a visitor who came to the store in early February when the rubbing alcohol was sold out and sold out was trying to buy fuel alcohol containing methanol.
The customer reluctantly felt convinced and bought a disinfection sheet instead.
Dangerous goods handler man saw
In some cases, the store's recognition was questioned.
This is a story of a 53-year-old man living in Sapporo.
On February 17, when I visited a drug store to buy an alcohol disinfectant, I noticed a bottle marked "Alcohol for fuel".
When a man with "Hazardous Material Handler" qualification confirmed the ingredient label, harmful methanol accounted for nearly 80%. Moreover, the products were listed along with alcohol disinfectants and pharmaceutical gauze.
When a man asks a clerk, the answer is ambiguous. The store later posted a notice saying that it could not be used for disinfection.
Man: "Fuel alcohol is a product that is sold at home centers, and if sold at a drugstore, it should be at least a different location from the disinfectant solution. In the worst case, some people may be damaged. May come. "
Ethanol and methanol
What is the difference between ethanol and methanol?
Both are friends of alcohol.
Ethanol is produced by fermenting sugars such as sugarcane and starches such as potatoes, and is sold mainly at pharmacies and the like for disinfection.
On the other hand, methanol is industrial alcohol used for fuels such as alcohol lamps and is made from natural gas and coal.
"Distracting" alcohol
Although the two have very similar names, their properties are different because of their different molecular structures.
The biggest difference is toxicity. Ethanol is the same as alcohol, but methanol is harmful.
The undiluted solution of methanol is designated as a deleterious substance in Japan.If consumed in large quantities, it may cause nausea and dizziness, and may cause disturbance of consciousness such as coma and seizures. It is said that there is also.
It seems that there are not a few people who remember alcohol as "distracting" alcohol.
Three types of ethanol
On the other hand, commercially available ethanol is divided into three types depending on the concentration.
▽ "Anhydrous ethanol" (concentration 99% or more)
▽ "Ethanol" (95%)
▽ "Ethanol for disinfection" (around 80%)
According to the Japan Alcohol Association, of the three types, absolutely pure anhydrous ethanol is not suitable for disinfection as it is used for cleaning electronic devices, but evaporates quickly because it is evaporated immediately.
The most suitable for disinfection and sterilization is "Ethanol for disinfection" whose concentration has been reduced to around 80%. A moderate amount of water means that alcohol molecules are good enough to destroy microbial structures, as well as a good penetration rate and evaporation time. Commercially available disinfectants are easy to use by adding additional disinfecting ingredients or gelling.
However, now that these products are scarce, many people purchase "anhydrous ethanol" or "ethanol" and dilute them with purified water.
Survive with your own disinfectant
Tweet from taxi company Sanwa Kotsu in Arakawa-ku, Tokyo.
A container of "anhydrous ethanol" is shown with the phrase "You can find it by just looking for the beans without purchasing from the resale shop."
When we talked to President Shohei Ota, he said that as a measure against influenza, disinfection solutions diluted with absolute ethanol have been deployed in 164 vehicles.
However, they haven't been able to buy them at any store for about 10 days, so they often check online shopping sites and find bulk to buy if they don't buy.
The ratio should be 4 to 1
Regarding how to make a disinfectant solution from absolute ethanol, Akimura Muramatsu, Managing Director of the Japan Pharmacists Association, said, "In order to enhance the disinfecting effect, it is important to make the proportion of ethanol about 60 to 90%, so the standard is 500 ml. It is necessary to dilute about 125 ml of purified water with respect to absolute ethanol. "
He also warned that "Ethanol is a flammable liquid and should not be used near fire."
Some people are afraid of alcohol disinfection
Finally, I would like to tell you that some people look at alcohol disinfection in a complicated way.
The other day, a musician woman from Aichi Prefecture posted a long message with a picture of her help mark she always wears.
"If I hit my skin directly, I get burned. I'm going to die with alcohol disinfection before getting a coronavirus. It's very important to disinfect! I'm saved "(excerpt)
When women come into contact with alcohol, including ethanol, or breathe volatile gases, they may develop hives, as well as headaches, nausea and difficulty breathing.
And, as a means of getting people to understand these things, they usually attach help marks.
There were over 70,000 retweets on posts, and various comments were received.
"I feel the same because I am the same."
"I knew that I could have symptoms in response to alcohol, but I didn't know that it would react to the disinfectant."
One of the retweets described the experience that "when I visited a local exhibition facility, the staff hurriedly left the line because the staff at the entrance urged each customer with disinfecting alcohol to disinfect." .
Of course, women do not want to stop disinfection itself.
"I want people to know that disinfection is life-threatening for some people. If you're spraying on the go, pay attention to your surroundings.
Alcohol not only has different uses and uses depending on its type, but can also harm health.
I think the most important thing is to have enough time to work on infection prevention after knowing the Toriset well.