Methanol is composed of methyl group and hydroxyl group, which has the chemical properties of alcohol. Methanol can react with fluorine gas, pure oxygen and other gases, and burn violently in pure oxygen to generate water vapor and carbon dioxide.
The toxicity of methanol has the greatest influence on the nervous system and blood system of human body. Intake through digestive tract, respiratory tract or skin will produce toxic reaction, and methanol vapor can damage human respiratory mucosa and vision.
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The poisoning mechanism of methanol is that methanol is metabolized by human body to produce formaldehyde and formic acid (commonly known as formic acid), and then it is harmful to human body. Common symptoms include: feeling drunk, headache, nausea, vomiting and blurred vision after one or several hours. In severe cases, people will be blind and even die.
The cause of blindness is that formic acid, a metabolite of methanol, accumulates in the eyes and destroys visual nerve cells. Brain nerves can also be damaged, causing permanent damage. When formic acid enters the blood, it will make the tissues more and more acidic, damage the kidneys and lead to renal failure.
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