NEWS: The Age - 17/02/07 'Fears stolen cyanide mistaken for illicit drug'
- Thread starter hoptis
- Start date
phase_dancer
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2001
- Messages
- 6,179
Cyanide salts as used as baits and animal poisons are extremely toxic with the oral LD50 (rat) of sodium cyanide (NaCN) being ~ 6.4mg/kg. Potassium cyanide (KCN) isn't much better, listed at 10mg/kg
This stuff is so toxic that I'd be very surprised anyone would survive if they did ingest or insufflate it. Even absorption through the skin can kill a person.
If either of these cyanide compounds becomes wet or is dissolved in water or acid, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas will be liberated - HCN is the stuff that was used in the Nazi gas chambers.
The standard antidote for cyanide poisoning once involved giving oxygen and amyl nitrite. Every lab handling the stuff carried small glass vials containing amyl.
However, amyl has limitations as a cyanide antidote and so was replaced some years ago with a kit containing injections of amyl nitrite sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulphate which were also administered with oxygen. However, not only did the kits have a limited shelf life (~12 months) and were expensive, it was reported that with some individuals the thiocyanate may have actually worsened the toxic state.
The now accepted treatment is injections of dicobalt edetate or mega doses of hydroxocobalamin (B12) if it's available in sufficient amounts. However, neither of those is likely to be found in the home, and they need to be administered very quickly to have a chance of saving the victim. These compounds work by forming complexes with the cyanide anion binding preferentially in a similar way that the CN- ion binds with haemoglobin
I only hope someone took the cyanide knowing it was cyanide, and that the intended use was not to poison. Cyanide can be used in drug and other chemical syntheses.
This stuff is so toxic that I'd be very surprised anyone would survive if they did ingest or insufflate it. Even absorption through the skin can kill a person.
If either of these cyanide compounds becomes wet or is dissolved in water or acid, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas will be liberated - HCN is the stuff that was used in the Nazi gas chambers.
The standard antidote for cyanide poisoning once involved giving oxygen and amyl nitrite. Every lab handling the stuff carried small glass vials containing amyl.
However, amyl has limitations as a cyanide antidote and so was replaced some years ago with a kit containing injections of amyl nitrite sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulphate which were also administered with oxygen. However, not only did the kits have a limited shelf life (~12 months) and were expensive, it was reported that with some individuals the thiocyanate may have actually worsened the toxic state.
The now accepted treatment is injections of dicobalt edetate or mega doses of hydroxocobalamin (B12) if it's available in sufficient amounts. However, neither of those is likely to be found in the home, and they need to be administered very quickly to have a chance of saving the victim. These compounds work by forming complexes with the cyanide anion binding preferentially in a similar way that the CN- ion binds with haemoglobin
I only hope someone took the cyanide knowing it was cyanide, and that the intended use was not to poison. Cyanide can be used in drug and other chemical syntheses.
cobaltdemon
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2006
- Messages
- 35
^i wish the metallurgical lab i used to work at knew a fraction as much as you do about CN poisoning.. used to work with bucketloads of the stuff all the time, getting it all over my unprotected skin, and right next to the bench of ACID leaches *shudder*
i asked my employer once what would happen if HCN was ever formed, what the procedure was, his reply: "run, or you'll die" 8(
i asked my employer once what would happen if HCN was ever formed, what the procedure was, his reply: "run, or you'll die" 8(