Chemicals and Drugs

Ethylene Glycol

A colorless, odorless, viscous dihydroxy alcohol. It has a sweet taste, but is poisonous if ingested. Ethylene glycol is the most important glycol commercially available and is manufactured on a large scale in the United States. It is used as an antifreeze and coolant, in hydraulic fluids, and in the manufacture of low-freezing dynamites and resins.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A colorless, odorless, viscous dihydroxy alcohol. It has a sweet taste, but is poisonous if ingested. Ethylene glycol is the most important glycol commercially available and is manufactured on a large scale in the United States. It is used as an antifreeze and coolant, in hydraulic fluids, and in the manufacture of low-freezing dynamites and resins.

Chemical Identity

Chemical Information

Molecular Formula
C2H6O2
Molecular Weight
62.07 g/mol
CAS Registry No.
107-21-1
IUPAC Name
ethane-1,2-diol
InChIKey
LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES
C(CO)O
MeSH Unique ID
D019855
Source
PubChem CID 174

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

7 entry terms
  • 1,2-Ethanediol
  • 2-Hydroxyethanol
  • Monoethylene Glycol
  • 1,2 Ethanediol
  • 2 Hydroxyethanol
  • Glycol, Ethylene
  • Glycol, Monoethylene

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

24 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, agonists, analysis, antagonists & inhibitors, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

ETHYLENE GLYCOLS also available

MeSH Record

History Note

98; use ETHYLENE GLYCOL (NM) 1982-97

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Ethylene Glycols (1982-1997)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. D02w.033w.455.250.268w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Ethylene Glycol. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D019855. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D019855
  2. Ethylene Glycol. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_glycol
  3. Ethylene Glycol. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q194207
  4. Ethylene Glycol. In: PubChem Compound. CID 174. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/174