coolant issue -- just how toxic is it?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cyberpriusII, Jun 29, 2014.

  1. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    First, just noticed the new "similar threads" addition -- thanks!!

    Second, just how toxic is the Toyota brand red, super-long-life coolant? The stuff you buy over the counter at the dealership?

    I mean, I know you can't drink it, but if it puddles onto a bunch of fir shelves and plywood out in our workshed, what is going to happen? Will it eventually dry and be safe to store stuff on? Will we have to put a thin layer of plywood over the places? Any experience in this.

    What happened is that along the back wall of the shed, we have shelves from floor to ceiling. Two bottles of Toyota coolant were on the top shelves. Went in this afternoon after work to "borrow" a beer from hubbie's 12-pack and saw a big puddle on top the beer, which was on the floor. Traced it up four shelves to the leaking coolant.

    So, I don't know, maybe 30-40 ounces leaked down on the shelves below and finally to the floor. Luckily, most things were not damaged....but will this thick coat of coolant eventually dry and will the shelves be useful again, or what? I have wiped up as best I can.
     
    #1 cyberpriusII, Jun 29, 2014
  2. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    It's deadly to animals that try to drink it.
     
    #2 El Dobro, Jun 29, 2014
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I suggest that you remove the items stored on the shelves, and hose them off with water. Pay special care to any items intended for human (or pet) consumption such as the beer, using soap and water to wash the individual bottles/cans to remove any trace of the coolant.

    Then (if possible, remove and) hose off the shelves and let them dry, before putting the items back. Finally, store poisonous and toxic items together on the bottom shelves.

    The coolant is highly toxic and can cause kidney failure.
    Ethylene glycol poisoning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jun 29, 2014
  4. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    Of course, dear husband is off fishing today and won't be back until about 8 p.m. or so....

    So, this can be cautionary tale to everyone, if you are storing anything like this, get some plastic bins or tubs and store them in the tubs. It will save you a lot of hassle.

    My husband's chainsaw jig/sharpener thing got a bit soaked. It's electric, so I don't know about it....but I wiped it down best I could. Shelves are screwed into posts that run from the floor to the ceiling, I am not going to try to take them out, I could see the whole thing collapsing.

    A couple of boxes were wet, but luckily had not soaked inside -- and a spool of "weedwacker line" -- a $70 spool -- was totally soaked. I will try to rinse and save that.

    So, it looks bad, but amazingly, no smell. I cannot figure out what bottle of antifreeze leaked, I have both of them in galvanized buckets at the moment.

    Thanks for the tips, as always, much appreciated.
     
    #4 cyberpriusII, Jun 29, 2014
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    whatever you do, save the beer!:eek:
     
    #5 bisco, Jun 29, 2014
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  6. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...ethylene glycol breaks down fairly fast in air, on the order of several days to a week. I am not sure what it breaks down into. Prius owners see solid pink salts by their car water pump when it leaks. Note the Toyota label says there are some other ingredients. I suspect you may start to see some of these pink salts on the wood as it dries. Probably can wash off with water.

    Antifreeze with ethylene glycol is a poison hazard, in part because it tastes like sugary syrup. So it is somewhat prone to being consumed (eg; by kids). There is a new US law they are supposed to make it bitter tasting, but not sure Toyota is doing that.
     
    #6 wjtracy, Jun 29, 2014
  7. Todd Q

    Todd Q Junior Member

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    From my experience and knowledge of the ethyl glycol/Antifreeze, the pooling/puddles and storage are the concerns with animals and kids getting into it and ingesting. Its vibrant color looks like it would taste good to a child so don't store it in glassware and for animals wipe up spills. My late father would sometimes use a clear plastic glass to catch small amounts of antifreeze with and then leave it on a bench. I do not seem to have the possible genetic trait that would have me do this thank goodness for my child. Have never heard of animals eating wood or other items that are soaked with it and the eaten by them to get them sick. It doesn't take much to get sick, just over .5oz or 16ml of a 50% solution is toxic an average size (185lb) adult.
     
    #7 Todd Q, Jun 30, 2014
  8. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    So, it is what -- a couple of days later. Most of the upper shelves have dried pretty well -- except for the shelf they actually were sitting on.

    The floor has dried somewhat. When I say dried, I mean you can no longer tell any "difference" between the wood that was wet and the surrounding wood.

    A few more days -- maybe by Sunday -- should tell if the "evidence" will all dry up and be "unnoticeable>" I will still wipe down pretty heavily with a damp cloth before I put anything back though.

    As a side note for Bisco, I threw the beer outside and it has been sitting in the sun (80-90 degrees) since the spill. Since hubby Kevin is not that big of a beer drinker, he has not noticed that yet...although he has been in the shed -- go figure...
     
    #8 cyberpriusII, Jul 1, 2014
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