On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:12:13 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry helen
wrote:


I have just stated that pure ethanol is toxic all by itself, even
before they add other agents to "make it toxic", but when I looked up
the MSDS for ethanol, it didn't mention that it is a carcinogen, as we
were told when I was at uni studying chemistry. I'll have to look it
up in my chemical catalogue I have on a shelf somewhere.

I suspect you've mixed up the memory with some other alcohol perhaps, or another
of the various organic solvents. Benzine or Carbon Tetrachloride perhaps?

Ethanol is, of course, toxic in it's own right. Chronic exposure causes a
number of types of long term damage, especially to the liver, but also to other
parts of the body, as well as physical addiction. In the short term, If blood
alcohol levels rise beyond a certain level, accidents, sexual attraction to
dubious partners, poor judgments, and a host of other risks are encountered. At
higher levels yet, arrest and incarceration become risks, and at yet higher
levels, death itself from alcohol poisoning can result. But I really doubt the
bit about carcinogenicity. Even with the long history of alcoholic beverages,
if ethanol were enough of a carcinogen to be worried about that effect, I
suspect we'd have heard a lot more about that, just as we have with tobacco. It
shouldn't matter if it's pure or highly dilute, other than the degree to which a
given quantity has an effect. After all, If I drink three martinis, I've
consumed a certain volume of pure ethanol, diluted with water, the mixers and
now with my stomach acids and all. If, instead, I'd consumed the same volume of
just the ethanol, my stomach would not have the mixers, but other than that, the
situtaion would be about the same, the ethanol diluted by my stomach liquids.
While the mixers in a drink, or the water diluting most alcoholic beverages
might reduce the volume of alcohol consumed in that drink, and might reduce
things like any caustic or irritating effects of the pure alcohol, the toxicity
of the absorbed/digested chemical should not be affected by the dilution, only
the dosage.

I recall visiting a lemon farm in the south of Italy a few summers ago while on
a vacation with my mom. There, they prepare a wonderous concoction called
Limoncello. This lemon liquor is made by dumping a bunch of the fresh lemon
peels from their wonderfully ripe and flavorful lemons into a bottle of pure
ethanol purchased from chemical suppliers. Allowed to steep for a time (weeks
or months, as I recall) to extract the lemon flavor, the liquid is then poured
off, and a bunch of sugar is added. The result, served ice cold, is quite
wonderful. Certainly dangerous if you drink too much, but no more than any
other fine liquor, and this stuff is not made by fermenting grapes or some other
fruit juice and then distilling it. It's ethanol bought in pure form from
chemical suppliers. Doesn't get purer. As near as I can tell, the main danger
is that consuming it can lead to confusion, making you think you're in Capri or
Sorrento or someplace like that... (grin) Oh, and the other danger. As a
tourist there, one has many many opportunities to part with your cash for the
stuff, or for other usual souvenirs. I was a bit miffed, on returning to the
U.S., to notice that my local state liquor store also carries Limoncello, in
fact one of the brands often seen for sale on that trip, for a rather lower
price than I paid over there...

cheers

Peter