The symptoms of antifreeze poisoning are subtle.

Within the first 12 hours of the ingestion of antifreeze, a person who has been poisoned—accidentally or not—might act drunk. The central nervous system gets slowed down, according to the information from the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The harmful compound in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting and odorless substance that is used in a variety of mechanical processes because of its low freezing point and high boiling point.

It’s chemically not far from common alcohol—but the human body reacts to the two different substances in vastly different ways.

In small amounts, the body metabolizes alcohol and it is expelled without damage to cells.

Oppositely, antifreeze is absorbed into the body fairly quickly, where it crystallizes. That’s when the real damage begins, as quickly as 30 minutes after the chemical is ingested.

“When ethylene glycol breaks down in the body it forms chemicals that crystallize, and the crystals can collect in your kidneys and can affect kidney function. Ethylene glycol also forms acidic chemicals in the body, which can change the body's acid/base balance and affect your nervous system, lungs, and heart,” a factsheet from the federal registry said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as little as two ounces of antifreeze can kill a dog, one teaspoon can kill a cat and two tablespoons of antifreeze can be hazardous to a child.

Within 24 to 72 hours, a person who has ingested a significant amount of antifreeze can die as a result. Most commonly, death is preceded by kidney failure, the factsheet said. It can also cause heart issues and brain damage.

The ATSDR notes, however, that antifreeze ingestion can be difficult to detect, because it is absorbed relatively quickly into the body and chemically converted.

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