Effects of Ethyl Alcohol

Effects of Ethyl Alcohol Central Nervous System 

As a CNS depressant, ethyl alcohol (ethanol) obeys the law of descending depression, in that it first inhibits the cerebral cortex, then the cerebellum, spinal cord, and medullary center. 

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Ethanol is produced as a more environmentally benign fuel. The systematic effect of ethyl alcohol differs from that of methyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is rapidly oxidized in the body to carbon dioxide and water, and in contrast to methyl alcohol no cumulative effect occurs. Ethanol is also a preferred alcohol in the transportation sector compared to methanol because it is derived from agricultural products and is renewable and biologically less objectionable in the enviromnent. 

C17. Childs, A. W., Kivel, R. M., and Lieberman, A., Effect of ethyl alcohol on hepatic circulation of sulfobromophthalein, clearance and hepatic glutamic-oxalocetic transaminase production in man. Gastroenterology 46, 176-181 (1963). 

Conway N. Haemodynamic effects of ethyl alcohol in patients with coronary heart disease. BrHeart J 96Z) 30, 638 4. 

Newman HW, Newman EJ. Failure of dexedrine and caffeine as practical antagonists of the depressant effect of ethyl alcohol in man. QJ Stud Alcohol ( 95 17,406-10. 

Waiis E. Effect of ethyl alcohol cn some coagulation factors in man during anticoagulant ther y. Arm Med Exp Biol Perm (1963) 41,45-53. 

Alcohol resistance n. Ability of a dried or cured coating to withstand the damaging effects of (ethyl) alcohol. 

Buchholtz discovered the effects of ethyl alcohol on the microorganisms. 

Medical Usage. Isopropyl alcohol is also used as an antiseptic and disinfectant for home, hospital, and industry (see Disinfectants and antiseptics). It is about twice as effective as ethyl alcohol in these appHcations (153,154). Rubbing alcohol, a popular 70 vol % isopropyl alcohol-in-water mixture, exemplifies the medicinal use of isopropyl alcohol. Other examples include 30 vol % isopropyl alcohol solutions for medicinal liniments, tinctures of green soap, scalp tonics, and tincture of mercurophen. It is contained in pharmaceuticals, eg, local anesthetics, tincture of iodine, and bathing solutions for surgical sutures and dressings. Over 200 uses of isopropyl alcohol have been tabulated (2). 

Dehydrogenation. The dehydrogenation of ethyl alcohol to acetaldehyde can be effected by a vapor-phase reaction over various catalysts. 

Concentration Effects. The reactivity of ethyl alcohol—water mixtures has been correlated with three distinct alcohol concentration ranges (35,36). For example, the chromium trioxide oxidation of ethyl alcohol (37), the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (38), and the sensitivities of coUoidal particles to coagulation (39) are characteristic for ethyl alcohol concentrations of 25—30%, 40—60%, and above 60% alcohol, respectively. The effect of various catalysts also differs for different alcohol concentrations (35). 

The threshold limit value for ethyl alcohol vapor in air has been set at 1000 ppm for an 8-h time-weighted exposure by the ACGIH (1989 listing). The minimum identifiable odor of ethyl alcohol has been reported as 350 ppm. Exposure to concentrations of 5,000—10,000 ppm result in irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and, if continued for an hour or more, may result in stupor or drowsiness. Concentrations of this latter order of magnitude have an intense odor and are almost intolerable to begin with, but most people can become acclimated to the exposure after a short time. Table 7 gives the effects of exposure to even heavier concentrations. 

Some authorities question whether dmnkeimess can result from the inhalation of ethyl alcohol vapors. Experience has demonstrated that in any event such intoxication is indeed rare (281). There is no concrete evidence that the inhalation of ethyl alcohol vapor will cause cirrhosis. Liver function is definitely impaired during alcohol intoxication (282), making the subject more susceptible to the toxic effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons. 

Also by the fact that sodium only attacks ethyl acetate in presence of ethyl alcohol, although the quantity of the latter may be very minute. Similar reactions have been effected with either metallic sodium or sodium ethylate by Claisen,... 

In view of the rapid toxic action and myotic effect of the dialkyl phosphorofluoridates and of the high toxicity of some of the phosphorodiamidic fluorides, we prepared2 and examined a hybrid molecule containing the essential features of each type of compound. The first to be examined was ethyl phenyl-phosphoramidofluoridate (VII). One mol. of phosphorus oxy-dichlorofluoride was added to 1 mol. of ethyl alcohol, and the resulting ethyl phosphorofluoridochloridate (which it was not necessary to isolate) was treated with aniline. 

Although an alteration in the specific inductive capacity of the double layer may be effected by the selective adsorption of the non-electrolyte yet such an explanation is evidently by no means adequate thus we find 1500 millimols. of ethyl alcohol as effective as 70 millimols. of isoamyl alcohol, whilst the dielectric capacities of water and the two alcohols stand in the ratio 81 20 8 5 7 again the anomalous behaviour of di- and tetravalent cations as noted by Efruyt and van Duin is not explicable on this hypothesis. 

In the 1940 s, in addition to these operations, two other processes became important. Acetic acid was made by reacting methanol with carbon monoxide, and acetic anhydride was being made by the ethylidene diacetate process, which in effect is the dehydration of acetic acid to the anhydride by the use of acetylene. Fermentation ethyl alcohol was converted to acetic acid via acetaldehyde as well as by the direct oxidation of ethyl alcohol. A new operation on the Gulf Coast was also based on acetaldehyde. However, the acetaldehyde is made by the direct oxidation of liquefied petroleum gas. A further process for the production of these materials, in which acetaldehyde is oxidized in one step to a mixture of anhydride and acid, was also begun. 

Reductive hydrolysis of n-butyl nitrate in an aqueous solution of ethyl alcohol in the presence of sodium hydrosulphide or ammonium hydrosulphide has been carried out by Merrow, Cristol and van Dolah [41], This is a complicated chemical reaction. As the result of hydrolysing the nitrate in the presence of sodium hydro-sulphide (the alkalinity of the solution corresponds to pH 10-11) 93% of nitrite ions and 7% of ammonia are obtained from the ester group nitrogen. When ammonium hydrosulphide is used, the nitrite ions initially produced rise to a maximum concentration and then fall to zero owing to the reducing action of the ammonium hydrosulphide. The reduction process takes place more effectively when the pH is above 10. 

The distillation technique is not used to separate complex mixtures, but finds its acceptance more for the preparation of large quantities of pure substances or the separation of complex mixtures into fractions. The technique depends on the distribution of constituents between the liquid mixture and component vapors in equilibrium with the mixture two phases exist because of the partial evaporation of the liquids. How effective the distillation becomes depends upon the type equipment employed, the method of distillation, and the properties of the mixture components. The distinguishing aspects of distillation and evaporation are that in the former all components are volatile, whereas in the latter technique volatile components are separated from nonvolatile components. An example of distillation would be the separation of ethyl alcohol and benzene. An evaporative separation would be the separation of water from an aqueous solution of some inorganic salt, for example, sodium sulfate. 

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