[daraul]

Propylene glycol is indeed a major component of antifreeze, such as what is used to de-ice airplanes. It's also a major component of automobile antifreeze.

It's also true that automotive antifreeze is generally toxic to humans and animals. It's especially concerning because the propylene glycol helps make them sweet, which makes them attractive for kids and animals to drink.

However, the toxicity of these liquids has more to do with the methanol and ethanol glycol in them than the propylene glycol. The first two are generally known to be toxic: The third is generally recognized as a safe food additive, and is indeed used as coolant/antifreeze around food processing where the potential for leaks and ingestion exist.

[freehunter]

>It's especially concerning because the propylene glycol helps make them sweet, which makes them attractive for kids and animals to drink.

I hate this argument when used to say why flavored tobacco, alcohol, etc should be banned (I'm not sure that you're making that claim, I'm assuming you are only referring to their use in anti-freeze. However, it's a common trend and is used against e-cigs as well). Adult things should taste bad because if they taste good kids will consume them? I like sweets too. Not everything has to taste like Arby's.

[daraul]

Yeah, I'm not making that argument at all. It's only a problem with antifreeze because it's something very harmful to consume, yet it has a somewhat attractive, food-like odor and taste.

Dangerous things to eat should taste bad to indicate you shouldn't eat them, but that's not always practical and this isn't a perfect world.