Recent reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have once again put the spotlight on the safety of cough syrups in India. While initial fears linked these deaths to the presence of toxic contaminants like Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG), tests conducted by national and state health authorities have so far found no traces of these substances in the samples collected.

Still, the scare has revived questions about these substances: What exactly are DEG and EG, why are they so dangerous, and how do they end up in medicines?

WHAT ARE DEG AND EG?

Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) are industrial chemicals most commonly used in making products like brake fluids, antifreeze, paints, plastics, and some household items.

They are cheap and colourless l

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