Acetaldehyde

<p>Acetaldehyde (IUPAC systematic name ethanal) is an <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic chemical compound</a> with the <a href="/facts/Chemical_formula/hghUtthl">formula</a> CH3CH=O, sometimes abbreviated as <a href="/facts/Methyl/fkM97EMD">Me</a>CH=O. It is a colorless liquid or gas, boiling near room temperature. It is one of the most important <a href="/facts/Aldehyde/xSIRkW03">aldehydes</a>, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale in industry. Acetaldehyde occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, and is produced by plants. It is also produced by the partial oxidation of <a href="/facts/Ethanol/3lCLfBSP">ethanol</a> by the liver enzyme <a href="/facts/Alcohol_dehydrogenase/XWwHgyad">alcohol dehydrogenase</a> and is a contributing cause of <a href="/facts/Hangover/jNRqAvCn">hangover</a> after <a href="/facts/Alcohol_(drug)/IeK2fVd5">alcohol</a> consumption. Pathways of exposure include air, water, land, or groundwater, as well as drink and smoke. Consumption of <a href="/facts/Disulfiram/kDsupF9F">disulfiram</a> inhibits <a href="/facts/Acetaldehyde_dehydrogenase/72qsce26">acetaldehyde dehydrogenase</a>, the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of acetaldehyde, thereby causing it to build up in the body.
</p><p><a href="/facts/International_Agency_for_Research_on_Cancer/Pb8KPyTz">The International Agency for Research on Cancer</a> (IARC) has listed acetaldehyde as a Group 1 <a href="/facts/Carcinogen/soH8Y9CE">carcinogen</a>. Acetaldehyde is "one of the most frequently found air toxins with cancer risk greater than one in a million".
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Acetaldehyde open-in-new

Acetaldehyde