It is a genuine wonderment about windshield wiper liquid having to be a bright blue color. Whether it is to represent the “freeze” part of the anti-freeze, or to somehow represent an unnatural juice color to deter others from drinking it, it is not always fool-proof.
This color is just too similar to the color of blue Kool-Aid, which is an artificially flavored juice powder mix. It is unfortunate in some cases.
In fact, I just read the other day that an owner of a day-care center mistook her windshield wiper fluid for Kool-Aid in its container, put it in a refrigerator, then took it out to serve it to ten children!
With a question of how she didn’t notice the smell of the methanol, or the labeling of the bottle, she could have caused a lot more damage to the children with her mistake.
What are the effects of ingesting windshield wiper fluid? In fatal cases, the heart could go into respiratory distress, and may stop completely (a cardiac arrhythmia). In extreme cases, the heavily toxic methanol can cause coma and blindness. The acidic nature somehow kills the cells in the retina of the eye, and in the brain.
The entire process is very scientific. Understanding how this happens can help with treatment to prevent further damage from being done if at all possible. Methanol reaches the liver and rapidly breaks down the ethanol that is already in your digestive system. The byproducts that arise from metabolizing the ethanol are very toxic.
Ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde , an element that causes liver and kidney damage when there is a high accumulation of it.
Carbon dioxide starts building up from the formation of this formic acid.
This entire process, when in moderate situations, gives rise to vomiting, pain, headaches, sleepiness and staggering. It sounds very similar to alcohol poisoning, which is the case here since methanol is an alcohol.
The first thing you should do in case of windshield wiper fluid poisoning is to call the poison control center. They will send an EMT over while helping you with guidance on what to do in the meantime. Usually, they will inject a shot of ethanol into the IV to overpower the methanol that is trying to break it down (if that makes sense!)
Should you bring in your entire groceries into the kitchen, separate child-safe products immediately from the dangerous ones. Keep them in completely different areas. Look very carefully at the labeling and note the child-proof caps that seem to take effort to open. In the case of windshield wiper fluid, you should look for a label with the same name and keep the bottle locked up and away from children.
As you select which antifreeze and windshield wiper fluid concentrate to buy, check out Ryland Jing’s blog for tips. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.
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