Antifreeze looks a little bit like Kool-Aid as it enters a car engine. But the liquid, which comes in colors ranging from cherry red to lime green, is nothing you would want to put on a picnic table. Antifreeze is a hazardous material that can cause serious harm to humans, animals and waterways. That is why those who replace their own antifreeze should resist the urge to dump it down the drain or in a nearby storm sewer. Every county in the U.S. should have at least one place that can safely recycle antifreeze.
To make antifreeze, manufacturers add chemicals to a liquid base (usually water) to both lower its freezing point and raise its boiling point. Manufacturers also add a small dose of chemicals to prevent corrosion and foaming and balance the liquid’s pH level. Antifreeze goes in cars, trucks and other vehicles to keep the liquid in the engine block from freezing and causing damage, but it is also used in refrigerators, HVAC units and solar water heaters.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the main ingredient in automotive antifreeze is ethylene glycol, a petroleum product derived from natural gas. Ethylene glycol is also used to make polyester fibers and PET plastic, to de-ice airplanes, and in the mining industry to keep chunks of coal from sticking together. A poisonous substance, ethylene glycol is particularly dangerous because it has a sweet taste, which can potentially lead children and animals to consume it in large enough quantities to be deadly. It doesn’t take much: as little as one-half of a teaspoon per pound of body weight can poison a dog. In December 2012, U.S. antifreeze manufacturers agreed to add a bitter flavoring component to their products to discourage children from consuming it if they come in contact with it.
Some manufacturers make antifreeze with propylene glycol, a food-grade product used in cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. Given that it is less toxic, it is the main ingredient in antifreeze for watercrafts.
However, it is important to recycle antifreeze no matter the contents. As the liquid passes through the engine block, it picks up heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. This adds to antifreeze’s toxicity and is another reason it is treated as hazardous waste by most states.
What is antifreeze?
To make antifreeze, manufacturers add chemicals to a liquid base (usually water) to both lower its freezing point and raise its boiling point. Manufacturers also add a small dose of chemicals to prevent corrosion and foaming and balance the liquid’s pH level. Antifreeze goes in cars, trucks and other vehicles to keep the liquid in the engine block from freezing and causing damage, but it is also used in refrigerators, HVAC units and solar water heaters.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the main ingredient in automotive antifreeze is ethylene glycol, a petroleum product derived from natural gas. Ethylene glycol is also used to make polyester fibers and PET plastic, to de-ice airplanes, and in the mining industry to keep chunks of coal from sticking together. A poisonous substance, ethylene glycol is particularly dangerous because it has a sweet taste, which can potentially lead children and animals to consume it in large enough quantities to be deadly. It doesn’t take much: as little as one-half of a teaspoon per pound of body weight can poison a dog. In December 2012, U.S. antifreeze manufacturers agreed to add a bitter flavoring component to their products to discourage children from consuming it if they come in contact with it.
Some manufacturers make antifreeze with propylene glycol, a food-grade product used in cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. Given that it is less toxic, it is the main ingredient in antifreeze for watercrafts.
However, it is important to recycle antifreeze no matter the contents. As the liquid passes through the engine block, it picks up heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. This adds to antifreeze’s toxicity and is another reason it is treated as hazardous waste by most states.
