Worried???

[ZekeMD]

Ok, so I was working in the lab making destain and happened to spill a bit of methanol down my arm. I washed it off with soap and water...no problem right? Well, now I'm worrying a bit. The MSDS said it is readily absorbed through the skin. Should I be worried???

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[dsblaha]

Don't worry.

I've worked in the lab in the last 3 years, and I spary etoh on everything. It gets all over the place. Besides, if you can drink it, i'm sure a little on your skin isn't too bad. I've had so much stuff spilled on me and I haven't had any problems.

We could make this a thread about lab accidents!

One time I was running a prep FPLC and I was running 3M NaOH to sterilize the resin. For some reason the pressure was building even though one end was open, and the top of the column popped off and I got 3M NaOH all over my face. Luckily I was wearing goggles and a lab coat, still it burned like hell!

 

[W222]

Its methanol, are you kidding. Its nothing, it wont do sh#t to you. Unless you drink it or sit in a bath of it. Also, think- any alcohol is readily absorbed through skin. They are also great solvents.

 

[Ragzpie]

Is it just methanol? If so, you'll be fine. I use methanol to clean all our HPLC stuff and cell culture stuff. I have frequently spilled it on myself. I'm still breathing.

Wait....Yep, still breathing.

 

[coldchemist]

No worries, Zeke. I get methanol all over my hands and arms all the time. The stuff is so volatile that most of it just evaporates before it has a chance to absorb. I'm sure you've heard that a really small amount can cause you to go blind, and just a little bit more will kill you. Well, that's true, but you'd really have to drink it for anything serious to happen.

 

[dsblaha]

I read ethanol instead of methanol, Don't drink methanol.

 

[cornell2004]

you're not blind yet, so you should be fine

 

[thewebthsp]

Just don't spill poison laced DMSO on yourself!

I've spilled MeOH on myself several times too, and my vision seems ok. I think.

 

[exmike]

you should ask finnpipette about inhaling bromophenol blue

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=92029

 

[ZekeMD]

Ok, I guess I overreacted. Its just the thought of going blind scared the bejesus outta me! Can you imagine that? You can kiss med school goodbye.

 

[Olanzapine]

Well, I don't mean to alarm you or anything, but there have been case reports of methanol toxicity secondary to dermal contact. If you start to experience any sx of methanol toxicity (you can look them up on the web), I'd go to the ER right away. I think that you should be fine though, especially if you washed the area off right away and it was just a bit.

 

[ZekeMD]

Well, I don't mean to alarm you or anything, but there have been case reports of methanol toxicity secondary to dermal contact. If you start to experience any sx of methanol toxicity (you can look them up on the web), I'd go to the ER right away. I think that you should be fine though, especially if you washed the area off right away and it was just a bit.

ehhhh crap, now I'm starting to worry again. Maybe I'll just go get drunk! etOH must slow the effects of meOH...right???

 

[duncanfj]

Zeke, don't worry. That little bit of methanol is not going to hurt you. There was a researcher with a serious drinking problem that found ethanol just didn't quite do it for him anymore, so he switched over to methanol. Drank it for quite some time before it killed him. Just don't shower with the stuff. I've spilled DMF on my hands a number of times, and I have notruyble tryping.

 

[Brickhouse]

My dad said some guy in his lab died from spilling phenol on himself! Isn't that crazy?

Yeah I know that's different from Methanol but this thread just reminded me off that.

 

[indo]

methanol probably evaporates faster than it absorbes through skin. Didn't it feel really cold?

 

[ZekeMD]

methanol probably evaporates faster than it absorbes through skin. Didn't it feel really cold?

Yeah it was cold. Ehhh doesnt matter, it gives me an excuse to drink

 

[Rose122]

ehhhh crap, now I'm starting to worry again. Maybe I'll just go get drunk! etOH must slow the effects of meOH...right???

If you're reading this you're probably fine. However, if you ever do it again I would suggest getting drunk as soon as possible. Hospital treatment is ethanol infusion since it is a competative inhibitor of MeOH. I've always wondered if you feel intoxicated when under this treatment or if they use such a low dose it's effects are negligable. Anyone know?

 

[indo]

If you're reading this you're probably fine. However, if you ever do it again I would suggest getting drunk as soon as possible. Hospital treatment is ethanol infusion since it is a competative inhibitor of MeOH. I've always wondered if you feel intoxicated when under this treatment or if they use such a low dose it's effects are negligable. Anyone know?

My lab keeps Jaeger in the fridge just in case... A methanol spill becomes a multi-phylogenetic rave.

 

[G0S2]

This just gives you an excuse to drink tonight.

 

[celticmists18]

methanol, ha! I stabbed myself with a syringe while working in the lab . . .thank god I did it BEFORE I had aspirated the chemotherapy drug I was working with!