ABSTRACT
Alcohols are carbon compounds containing hydroxyl groups (–OH). Alcohols are common types of chemicals, and exposure to alcohols can cause diverse biological effects, either indirectly through metabolic products or directly through the parent molecules. Ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol are the important alcohols due to their wide availability. These alcohols are able to induce toxicity both in animals and humans. Chemically, carbon chains with carbonyl groups (H–C=O) are classiÞed as aldehydes. Among the aldehydes, formaldehyde is ubiquitously distributed in the environment. Human exposure to this chemical has received considerable attention due to its established carcinogenicity and developmental toxicity in laboratory animals. Accordingly, this chapter will focus on the clinical toxicology of ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, and formaldehyde.
