Is Methanol toxic? Barges loose on Ohio River spark concern online

10 barges, one of them carrying 1,400 tons of toxic methanol, were released from a tugboat and pinned against a dam on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky. The barge is partially submerged right now. As per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the incident took place on March 28 at around 2 pm at the McAlpine Locks and Dam.

The agency reported that 10 of the 11 barges that were being pulled by a tugboat broke free. Three of the barges got stuck to the dam, and one was stuck to a pier.

The Army Corps of Engineers said that by Tuesday afternoon, the barge that was stuck against the pier had been recovered.

In a statement to media houses, the agency said that the last six boats had been found and that the locks on the dam would stay shut until the ships on the dam were "stabilized."

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Methanol, used for industrial purposes, is poisonous

As per Mount Sinai, Methanol is a type of alcohol that is not consumed and is used for automotive and industrial purposes. It can be found in several places and items like canned heating sources, de-icing fluid, paint remover or thinner, windshield wiper fluid, copy machine fluids, and so on.

Exposure to methanol can lead to poisoning that can have adverse effects on health. Some of them are:

• Breathing difficulty or no breathing
• Blindness, complete or partial
• Blurry vision
• Low blood pressure
• Headache
• Confusion
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting, sometimes bloody
• Leg cramps

After news of the barge being released from a tugboat went viral, Twitterati was left concerned. Several users remarked how these back-to-back incidents in the country were "not normal."

Others stated that they were not surprised by the incident since they are happening at an "accelerated" pace in the current times.

Screenshot of a Twitter user expressing concern over a toxic alcohol barge being partially submerged at the McAlpine Dam.

Screenshot of a Twitter user expressing concern over a methanol barge being partially submerged at the McAlpine Dam.

Screenshot of a Twitter user expressing concern over a methanol barge being partially submerged at the McAlpine Dam.

Screenshot of a Twitter user expressing concern over a methanol barge being partially submerged at the McAlpine Dam.

In a tweet explaining the incident, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said that the barge transporting 1,400 tons of toxic alcohol was partially submerged at the dam in Louisville.

A spokesperson for Louisville Metro Emergency Services said that the incident caused Louisville Fire to send hazmat monitors to the dam.

The rep wrote:

"The barge companies are marshaling significant resources in response to the incident and will assess the situation and determine next steps. In the meantime, Louisville Fire has deployed Haz-Mat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the private company arrives on scene."

According to the organization, no water contamination happened to Louisville Water's water intake or water quality.

"Your water is safe to drink."

As of writing, no injuries were reported from the incident.