Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid with a sweet taste, and is an excellent solvent for water-insoluble chemicals and drugs. DEG is used as a component of multiple different products including antifreeze preparations, cosmetics, lubricants, brake fluids, wallpaper strippers, heating/cooling fuel and as a plasticizer. DEG has also been inappropriately substituted in pharmaceutical preparations for nontoxic constituents, resulting in more than a dozen epidemics of human poisoning, with resultant high mortality rates. The hallmark of DEG toxicity is acute renal failure, and deaths have been reported despite aggressive treatment with hemodialysis. APPLICATION: Diethylene Glycol is used as a dehydrating agent for natural gas; a raw material for the production of plasticizers and polyester resins; a humectant; a textile lubricant and coupling agent; a solvent in textile dyeing and printing; a constituent of hydraulic fluids; a plasticizer for paper, cork and synthetic sponges; a solvent in printing inks; a raw material for the production of esters used as emulsifiers, demulsifiers, and lubricants; and a selective solvent for aromatics in petroleum refining.