PG tips
I hadn't read of the deaths of Indonesian children after taking tainted cough syrup before now, but the cause of death being acute kidney injury told me that this was the same issue as reported earlier in The Gambia and Uzbekistan. I wouldn't have noted it here, though, if my pedantry hackles hadn't been raised:
Indonesian authorities have found that local chemical companies used industrial grade solvent material - Ethylene Glycol and Diethylene Glycol - in the syrup amid a global shortage of pharmaceutical grade solvents. The two substances are typically used in antifreeze solutions for air-conditioners and fridges.
Valdya Baraputri and Lara Owen, BBC News
The BBC boneheads have confused the grade of the solvents with their chemical identity. Chemical identity is the actual substance itself: think sunflower oil vs olive oil, for example. Grade refers to purity; the higher the purity, the higher the cost, and the more selective the application: think extra virgin olive oil vs later pressings and refined oil.
High-purity ethylene glycol—so-called fibre grade
—can be used in the production of polyester fibres and PET drink bottles, whereas lower-purity technical grade
material can only be used for less-demanding industrial applications, such as antifreeze etc. But these solvents must never be used in pharmaceutical applications, or any product to be ingested, no matter what the grade.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing requires different solvents entirely: namely, propylene glycol or glycerin. Even then, only the highest purity material—USP/EP or pharma grade
—can be used in these applications. Lower-purity industrial grade
propylene glycol is consigned to more general use.
So, ethylene glycol (HOCH2CH2OH) and propylene glycol (HOCH2CH[CH3]OH) are different chemicals. But they're also supplied as different grades.
This confusion isn't limited to BBC journalists, where it amounts to nothing more than misinformation. Unfortunately, a similar ignorance appears to exist within the pharmaceutical supply chain, where the consequences can be catastrophic.
For anyone questioning the title to this post: propylene glycol is commmonly known as PG in the industry; PG Tips is a brand of tea in the UK; but what I've offered above are PG tips. I'm so clever I could kiss myself…if only I weren't so ugly.
In updating the story with the outcome of criminal proceedings against the manufacturer, the BBC's Peter Hoskins managed to raise my pedantry hackles with yet more misinformation.
These batches contained 96% to 99% ethylene glycol, the prosecutor said. Both substances can be used as additives to solvents. While, propylene glycol is non-toxic and widely used in medicines, cosmetics and food, ethylene glycol is toxic and used in paint, pens and brake fluid.
Peter Hoskins, BBC News
No, they're not used as additives to solvents, Hoskins you numpty, they are themselves solvents; and, in the case of propylene glycol, an excipient.
Furthermore, ethylene glycol is not used in brake fluid, it has a boiling point below 200°C and would boil under braking conditions; this is not a desirable technical characteristic. Brake fluid may contain ethylene glycol-derived polymers, and ethylene glycol itself is used in automotive antifreeze, but that's a whole different matter entirely. I'm not aware of it being used in paints or pens either, at least not in the West. (whatever)
Honestly, you'd think that someone at the BBC would verify this shit. (rolleyes)
Not really worth a post of its own, so I thought I'd just add this pedantic triviality here.
In a report of a spreading deadly fungal infection in the US, ol' droidy comes up with a little gem of technical miscommunication:
The majority of cases tested were immune to anti-fungal treatment.
Since droid is referring to the response, or rather lack thereof, of the fungus to treatment, then resistant
would be appropriate. In order to have immunity, an immune system is required. And fungi don't have an immune system.
A tragic leak of nitric oxide gas at a South African settlement, resulting in sixteen dead, is exacerbated by a not-so-tragic lack of chemistry knowledge at Beeb Towers. Not for the first time.
A suspected nitrate oxide [sic] gas leak in South Africa has led to the deaths of 16 people, local officials say.
Nomsa Maseko, BBC News
Nitrate oxide is not a thing. Nitrates are salts—often used as fertilisers—or esters of nitric acid, NO3. Nitric oxide, NO• is a gas used in, among other things, metal extraction. Our fearless correspondent repeats the error only three paragraphs later:
Nitrate oxide [sic] gas is often used by illegal gold miners - known locally as zama zamas - to extract gold from soil stolen from abandoned mine shafts.
Nomsa Maseko, BBC News
This may, or may not, be subject to a little invisible mending
. (wink)
Unsure whether the oxide was nitrate or nitric, or something else entirely, someone at Beeb Towers simply removed all mention of its name. Probably for the best, really.