What Is Ethanol?
The National Cancer Institute says alcohol is the common term for ethanol or ethyl alcohol, a chemical substance found in alcoholic beverages such as beer, hard cider, malt liquor, wines and distilled spirits, and that it is produced by the fermentation of sugars and starches by yeast. The NIOSH Pocket Guide lists its other names as alcohol, cologne spirit, EtOH and grain alcohol, and describes it as a clear, colorless liquid with a weak, ethereal, vinous odor, a flash point of 55°F and a Class IB flammable liquid.
It is also a sanitizer and a fuel. The FDA notes that when soap and water are not available, CDC recommends an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol. The Congressional Research Service describes E15 as a fuel blend of up to 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline that generally cannot be sold during the June 1 to September 15 summer driving season because it does not meet gasoline Reid vapor pressure requirements under the Clean Air Act. On August 20, 2026, the EPA renewed a temporary nationwide emergency waiver extending the ethanol blending limit in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent.
For workplace exposure, the NIOSH Pocket Guide lists both the NIOSH recommended exposure limit and the OSHA permissible exposure limit for ethyl alcohol as a time-weighted average of 1,000 ppm, and an immediately dangerous to life or health concentration of 3,300 ppm. The symptoms it lists include irritation of the eyes, skin and nose, headache, drowsiness, weakness and exhaustion, narcosis, cough, liver damage and anemia.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Medical referenceThe National Cancer Institute says alcohol is the common term for ethanol or ethyl alcohol, found in beer, hard cider, malt liquor, wines and distilled spirits, and produced by yeast fermenting sugars and starches. National Cancer Institute ↗
- Medical referenceThe NIOSH Pocket Guide lists ethyl alcohol's names as alcohol, cologne spirit, ethanol, EtOH and grain alcohol, and describes a clear, colorless Class IB flammable liquid with a 55°F flash point. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Regulatory filingThe NIOSH Pocket Guide lists the NIOSH and OSHA exposure limits for ethyl alcohol as a 1,000 ppm time-weighted average, with an IDLH value of 3,300 ppm. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Government sourceNIOSH lists ethyl alcohol exposure symptoms including irritation of the eyes, skin and nose, headache, drowsiness, weakness, narcosis, cough, liver damage and anemia. NIOSH, CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA notes that when soap and water are not available, CDC recommends an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe Congressional Research Service says E15, up to 15% ethanol, generally cannot be sold from June 1 to September 15 because it does not meet Clean Air Act gasoline vapor pressure requirements. Congressional Research Service ↗
- Regulatory filingOn August 20, 2026, the EPA renewed a temporary emergency fuel waiver for all parts of the United States that extends the ethanol blending limit in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. US EPA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.