Toxic Tuesdays

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a clear liquid with a sweet taste. It is an effective solvent for resins and adhesives, making them function better. For this reason, DEG is used in many industrial and consumer product settings. It is used in the manufacturing of polymers like polyester and polyurethane to help make them more flexible. It can also be used in dyes and oils for textiles, inks, and adhesives. It can be a component of brake fluid, antifreeze, and wall strippers. DEG can also be found in personal care products like makeup, creams, lotions, and deodorants.

With so many uses, DEG is a chemical many people can be exposed to. People who work in facilities that manufacture materials with DEG are most likely to be exposed. People who live near these facilities may be exposed through improper waste disposal or contamination of drinking water. The general public can also be exposed to DEG through common household and consumer products that contain it. DEG does not absorb well through the skin, so the most common route of exposure is through ingestion. This can happen through accidentally drinking contaminated water or DEG-containing products.

DEG ingestion is very dangerous, and even deadly, if not treated. People who ingest it may initially seem drunk. As the body metabolizes DEG, they can then develop nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. A few days after ingestion, kidney failure and irregular heartbeats are very common. About one week after ingestion, there can be impairment of brain function, loss of motor control, coma, and death.

Because DEG has useful chemical properties and is inexpensive, companies have inappropriately added it into products like medicines, toothpaste, and alcohol as a substitute for other ingredients. Between 1937 and today there have been dozens of instances worldwide of DEG poisoning through contaminated products that have resulted in mass deaths. In 1937, DEG added to a medicine caused 105 deaths in the US, which lead to the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. The fact that mass deaths through DEG poisoning have continued since then in the US and elsewhere makes clear that additional oversight and regulation is needed to protect people from DEG exposure and poisoning.