Polyethylene glycol is a polymer which is hydrolyzed by ethylene oxide. It has no toxicity and irritation. It is widely used in various pharmaceutical preparations. The toxicity of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol is relatively large.
Poly(ethylene glycol) is a polyether compound derived from petroleum with many applications, from industrial manufacturing to medicine. PEG is also known as polyethylene oxide (PEO) or polyoxyethylene (POE), depending on its molecular weight.