Alcohol has several alternative names due to its various chemical structures and uses. On this page we will discuss ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol) and methanol (also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol).
Both ethanol and methanol are solvents, and both can be used as fuel. Ethanol is formed through fermentation of food crops. Methanol is created by chemical processes. Their chemical structures are slightly different.
ethanol chemical structure
Beer: approximately five percent alcohol
Wine: Between 12 and 15 percent alcohol
Distilled liquor: typically from 30 to 50 percent alcohol, but can be higher
Ethanol is also an antiseptic, a medicinal solvent, a chemical solvent, and an engine fuel. It can be used as a rocket fuel, for household heating, and other uses.1
Health Impacts
Acute health effects. Toxicity symptoms from consumption of ethanol include memory loss, inebriation, dehydration, and depression of the central nervous system. Acute effects vary with blood alcohol concentration (BAC):2
.05 - reduced inhibitions
.10 - slurred speech
.20 - euphoria and motor impairment
.30 - confusion
.40 - stupor
.50 - coma
Above .50 BAC: respiratory paralysis and death
Longer-term health effects. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that alcohol is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). In 2023 the WHO stated that “no safe amount of alcohol consumption for cancers and health can be established.”3 There is also strong (causal) evidence for the following:4
ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity
Behavioral problems, which may include aggression, impulsivity, and delinquent behavior
Cancer of the breast, esophagus, larynx, or liver.
Cognitive impairment, which may include impaired learning, impaired memory, and decreased attention span, intellectual disability, or developmental delay
Congenital malformations (birth defects), including cardiac malformations
Other poor health outcomes. Excessive drinking can also cause:6
Unintentional injuries such as motor vehicle accidents, drowning, falls, and burns
Violence, including child maltreatment, homicide, and suicide
Alcohol abuse and dependency
Dose and age. Moderate ethyl alcohol use is defined as one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Health effects of ethanol vary by the dose, so an adult much smaller or larger than the "typical" adult could experience different degrees of effects. Children are at greater risks from exposure because of their smaller size.
Gender. Women metabolize less of their alcohol in the intestine, which leads to higher absorption and higher blood alcohol concentration. Women also tend to have a higher body fat percentage per body weight, causing women to have a lower volume of fluid by weight. Because women also tend to have lower average body weight than men, women will have a higher blood alcohol concentration on average than a man who consumes a comparable amount.
Vulnerable populations. Those highly sensitive to ethanol include pregnant women and fetuses. Fetal exposure to alcohol can lead to various complications, including fetal alcohol syndrome. Children in general, and especially the very young, are more susceptible to toxic effects because their organs are still rapidly developing, and growing organs are more vulnerable than mature organs and tissues to the effects of toxic chemicals such as alcohol. For example, the brain is not fully developed until the late teens, growing especially rapidly during the first seven years of life. A toxic hit to the brain while it is forming can have more serious effects than one later in life. In addition, the fetal liver eliminates alcohol very poorly, and so a fetus is subjected to alcohol's effects longer than its mother. For adults, there is also a decline in alcohol elimination with aging.7
Variance in metabolism. Individuals vary in how they metabolize alcohol. In addition to age and gender, factors that can influence metabolism include physical condition, race or ethnicity, and the rate of consumption.
Certain groups have genetic challenges metabolizing acetaldehyde, which is an intermediate in the metabolism of alcohol. Some individuals, especially of northeast Asian or of African heritage, have variants in genes which encode for ALDH, causing acetaldehyde blood levels to rise with consumption of ethanol and leading to toxic effects.8
Reducing Exposures
Ethanol is typically consumed in alcoholic beverages, but exposures also happen through inhalation of ethanol vapor and through dermal (skin) absorption. Inhalation and dermal absorption are most significant in occupational settings.9
Reducing consumption of alcoholic beverages. Regulation of ethyl alcohol varies by country. In the United States, the minimum age to purchase alcohol is 21 years. Regulations also address drinking and driving, with criminal classifications varying by country10 and state within the US.11 The legal limit for most drivers in the US is .08 percent blood alcohol concentration.
Recommendations for pregnant women are to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy.12 The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the following groups avoid all alcohol:
Anyone under age 21
Women who are or may be pregnant
Anyone who is driving, planning to drive, or participating in activities which require coordination, certain skills, and alertness
Anyone taking certain prescription or over the counter medications, which interact with alcohol
Individuals with certain medical conditions
Those recovering from alcoholism or who are not able to control their drinking13
Limiting occupational exposure. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit for general industry is 1,000 ppm.14 Exposure limits are lower in some European countries. A 2009 review found no appreciable cancer risk from occupational exposures within these limits.15
Methanol
Methanol is a solvent and fuel, found in products such as these:16
methanol chemical structure
Plastics
Synthetic fibers
Paints
Resins
Magnetic film
Safety glass laminate
Adhesives
Solvents
Carpeting
Insulation
Refrigerants
Windshield washer fluid
Particle board
Pigments and dyes
Methanol is also used:
As a solvent for resins, fats, and oils
In manufacturing of acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ethyl chloride, ethyl ether, butadiene, ethylene dibromide, soaps, cleaning preparations, dyes, and explosives
As a pharmaceutical, such as rubbing compounds
Although methanol occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, and also in our blood, urine, and breath in small amounts,17 it is a poison when ingested (consumed) or inhaled.
Health Impacts
Acute methanol poisoning. Exposures to small amounts of methanol can cause blindness and death. The minimal lethal oral dose in humans is believed to be 1mg/kg of body weight,18 or as little as one to three fluid ounces (30-100 milliliters). Most poisonings have occurred after ingestion, although methanol poisoning after inhalation or skin absorption in the workplace has been reported.19
Toxicity symptoms from methyl alcohol exposure or poisoning can include:20
Irritation in eyes, skin, and upper respiratory system
Headache
Drowsiness
Nausea
Vomiting
Dermatitis
Visual disturbance to severe vision impairment within 8-24 hours of exposure
Blindness
Metabolic acidosis
Alcoholic ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Central nervous system depression
Death
Longer-term health effects. Chronic exposure to methanol has been linked to:21
Vulnerable populations. For the same reasons described above regarding ethanol, fetuses and children are more susceptible to the effects of methanol exposures than adults.
Exposure Sources
Sources of exposure to methanol include home, manufacturing, and industrial products. Typical routes of exposure include inhalation, ingestion, and skin or eye contact. A list of products containing methanol is in the Consumer Product Information Database (CPID).
Methanol can often be found in various home-distilled spirits, such as moonshine. Commercial manufacturers of liquor use technologies specifically designed to ensure methanol is separated from the ethanol as the liquor is produced, but home distillers seldom have the technology and capability to do so.23
Reducing Exposures
OSHA's current permissible exposure limit is 200 ppm.24 Prevention focuses on avoiding skin and eye contact with methanol. If skin contact does occur, washing the skin immediately is critical, flushing with water. First aid for other exposures involves immediately irrigating eyes, providing respiratory support after inhalation, and providing immediate medical attention if methanol is swallowed.25
Other regulations on methanol include limiting the amount of methanol in windshield washing fluids to three percent. Swallowing windshield wiper fluid can be lethal, especially for small children.26 More information about methanol poisoning in home settings is available on the MedlinePlus website.
Avoid home-distilled alcoholic beverages, even though the price may be appealing. Home-brewed beer and homemade wine are generally not a concern for methanol.
Economic & Social Costs
Costs of excessive alcohol use
Problems associated with alcohol consumption seem to be increasing. Compared to 2006, when excessive drinking in the United States was estimated to cost $223.5 billion ($1.90 per drink), by 2010 the costs had risen to $249 billion ($2.05 per drink). Seventy-seven percent of these costs were attributed to binge drinking, which is five or more drinks on one occasion for men or four or more drinks on one occasion for women. Most of these costs were due to reduced workplace productivity, crime, and the cost of treating people for health problems caused by excessive drinking.27
In the US, annual estimated cost of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers totaled about $123.3 billion in 2020.28
Not only is excessive drinking draining our economy, but the 178,000 lives lost each year to excessive drinking in America29 represent a tragic social failure. Alcohol abuse and the needless and permanent damage to innocents, including fetuses and children, are entirely preventable.
This page was last revised in February 2025 by CHE’s Science Writer Matt Lilley, with editing support from CHE Director Kristin Schafer.
Some information on this page is sourced from Toxipedia.
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Some information on this page is sourced from Toxipedia.