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Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Table of Contents Expand. What Is Cyanide? How Cyanide Poisons. Exposure to Cyanide. Symptoms of Cyanide Poisoning. How Much Cyanide Is Lethal? Is there a Treatment for Cyanide Poisoning? Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph.
She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated November 18, View Article Sources. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.
During water chlorination, cyanogen chloride may be produced at low levels. People may be exposed to low levels of cyanides in their daily lives from foods, smoking and other sources. Eating or drinking cyanide-containing foods may cause health effects.
Breathing cyanide gas, especially in a poorly ventilated space, has the greatest potential for harm. Lethal exposures to cyanides result only from accidents or intentional acts. Because of their quick-acting nature, cyanides may be used as agents of terrorism. After exposure, cyanide quickly enters the bloodstream. The body handles small amounts of cyanide differently than large amounts.
In small doses, cyanide in the body can be changed into thiocyanate, which is less harmful and is excreted in urine. In the body, cyanide in small amounts can also combine with another chemical to form vitamin B 12 , which helps maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells. Large doses of cyanide prevent cells from using oxygen and eventually these cells die. The heart, respiratory system and central nervous system are most susceptible to cyanide poisoning. The health effects from high levels of cyanide exposure can begin in seconds to minutes.
Some signs and symptoms of such exposures are:. The severity of health effects depends upon the route and duration of exposure, the dose, and the form of cyanide. Moving away from the point of exposure to fresh air is an important first step in treating cyanide exposure.
Cyanide poisoning can be further treated by medical professionals. Often patients are given oxygen. Two antidotes sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate are usually used to stop the effects of serious cyanide poisoning. Other drugs may be necessary to control additional health effects of cyanide such as seizures. People who experience serious signs and symptoms will need immediate hospital care, especially individuals who have "passed out" or are unconscious.
Cyanide poisoning can also come from unlikely sounding sources. One study tells of a woman who ate 20 apricot kernels, and was subsequently afflicted with cyanide poisoning. Apricot kernels, and seeds of other fruits such as apples and peaches, contain a compound called amygdalin, which contains a cyanide portion.
When this compound contacts with the acid in the stomach, hydrogen cyanide is produced, which can then lead to poisoning. Luckily, a significant number of fruit seeds are required to reach a lethal dose of cyanide — the woman mentioned in the study made a full recovery. Perhaps the most well-known use of cyanide as a poison was in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. There, the Nazis used Zyklon B, a cyanide-based pesticide which released hydrogen cyanide, to kill millions.
Cyanide poisoning is still a not-uncommon occurrence, though the exposure is often accidental. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes even if they are not disposable contacts. If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them. If you are wearing jewelry that you can wash with soap and water, you can wash it and put it back on. If it cannot be washed, it should be put with the contaminated clothing. Disposing of your clothes: After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag.
Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. An alternative method is to put the clothes in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too. Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself. For more information about cleaning your body and disposing of your clothes after a chemical release, see Chemical Agents: Facts About Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothing. Seek medical attention right away.
Dial and explain what has happened. How cyanide poisoning is treated Cyanide poisoning is treated with specific antidotes and supportive medical care in a hospital setting.
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