US EPA

1167771 

Journal Article 

Variability in Methanol Content Among Solid Fuel Products 

Wiener, SW; Ravikumar, PR; Cotter, B; Nelson, LS 

2004 

1 

Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology
ISSN: 0731-3810
EISSN: 1097-9875 

TOX/5002623 

42 

5 

English 

Background: Solid fuel products are commonly used for fondue sets, chafing dishes, and camping stoves. Management of exposed patients is problematic because the methanol (MeOH) content of these products is often unclear. Most containers do not list MeOH%. Additionally, Poisindex? (PD) lists multiple formulations of identically labeled products with widely divergent MeOH content. We analyzed the MeOH content of solid fuel and compared it with that reported on the label and in PD. Methods: A convenience sample of six solid fuel products was obtained. Physical attributes of each can (including label, volume, fuel color, and printed information on the can) were used to identify the product and determine its contents using PD. Aliquots of each sample were placed in vials and weighed. An amount of 10 mL of water was added to each vial and vortexed. Samples were diluted 10:1 in water and injected into a Perkin-Elmer Sigma 3B gas chromatograph with a Supelco 0.2% CW-1500/support 60/80 carbopack C, 4 ft x 4 mm glass column at 95 degrees C, injection temperature 200 degrees C and an FID detector at 250 degrees C. Results were compared to the content listed in PD. Results: Only one product (Sterno Canned Heat Cooking Fuel?) listed the MeOH content on the can (3.3%); the measured concentration was 4.8%. Another (Fancy Heat?), not listed in PD, was 59.8%. Handy Fuel Canned Heat? was listed in PD with several formulations, containing either 71% or 3?4% MeOH; we were unable to identify which formulation we purchased, but it had 58.4% MeOH. The remaining three products had 3.1%, 3.9%, and 68.0% MeOH, and correlated well with PD values. Conclusion: For some products MeOH% correlated well with PD. However, some products with widely divergent MeOH levels cannot be definitively identified even when the can is available. In cases where the product is not definitively identified, patients should be presumed to have a consequential MeOH ingestion.