| Agent Name |
Potassium cyanide |
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| CAS Number |
151-50-8 |
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| Formula |
C-K-N |
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| Major Category |
Toxic Gases & Vapors |
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| Synonyms |
Cyanide of potassium; Cyanure de potassium [French]; Hydrocyanic acid, potassium salt; Kalium cyanid [German]; M-44 capsules (potassium cyanide); Potassium cyanide; Potassium cyanide (K(CN)); [ChemIDplus] UN1680 |
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| Category |
Chemical Asphyxiants |
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| Description |
White, granular or crystalline solid with a faint, almond-like odor; [NIOSH] Deliquescent; [CHEMINFO] |
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| Sources/Uses |
Used mainly for silver plating; Also used in steel hardening, gold and silver extraction, and fumigation (fruit trees, ships, railroad cars, and warehouses); [HSDB] Used in photography (reducer); [www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/medium.html] |
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| Comments |
There are two common scenarios for cyanide poisoning in the industrial setting: 1) mixing acid and cyanide solutions, and 2) pouring cyanide wastes into non-alkaline solutions. Mixing cyanide salts with water, e.g., showering in clothes contaminated with cyanides, will generate hydrogen cyanide gas. Dermal absorption of cyanide salts deposited on large areas of skin can result in fatal poisoning. [Sullivan, p. 705-6] The moist solid form is caustic to skin. [CHRIS] A severe skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [ICSC] "The substance may cause effects on the cellular respiration , resulting in convulsions and unconsciousness; The substance may have effects on the thyroid"; [ICSC] |
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| Restricted |
"This chemical ingredient is not found in any products." [National Pesticide Information Retrieval System] |
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| Exposure Assessment |
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| Skin Designation (ACGIH) |
Yes |
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| Ceiling (ACGIH) |
5 mg/m3, as CN |
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| PEL (OSHA) |
5 mg/m3, as CN |
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| MAK |
5 mg/m3, as CN, inhalable fraction |
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| IDLH (NIOSH) |
25 mg/m3, as CN |
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| Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs |
Human data: Absorption of the alkali cyanides in amounts as low as 50 to 100 mg from a single, instantaneous dose may be followed by immediate collapse and cessation of respiration [Clayton and Clayton 1982]. It has been stated that although the fatal oral dose will vary considerably, depending on whether or not food is present in the stomach, it is probably in the order of 1 to 2 mg/kg [Clayton and Clayton]. [Note: An oral dose of 50 to 100 mg or 1 to 2 mg/kg is equivalent to a 70�kg worker being exposed to about 50 mg/m3 (as CN) for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.] |
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| Reference Link |
ATSDR ToxFAQs - Cyanide |
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| Flammability (NFPA) |
0: will not burn |
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| Adverse Effects |
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| Dermatotoxin |
Skin Burns |
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| Other Poison |
Chemical Asphyxiant |
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| Links to Other NLM Databases |
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| Health Studies |
Human Health Effects from Hazardous Substances Data Bank: POTASSIUM CYANIDE
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