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The effect of potassium cyanide on humans - symptoms of poisoning and treatment. The effect of potassium cyanide on humans and cyanide poisoning

The history of cyanides can be traced confidently almost from the first written sources that have come down to us. The ancient Egyptians, for example, used peach pits to extract a deadly essence, which is simply called "peach" in the papyri on display at the Louvre.

Lethal Peach Synthesis

Peach, like two and a half hundred other plants, including almonds, cherries, sweet cherries, plums, belongs to the plum genus. The seeds of the fruits of these plants contain the substance amygdalin - a glycoside, which perfectly illustrates the concept of "lethal synthesis". This term is not entirely correct, it would be more correct to call the phenomenon “lethal metabolism”: in its course, a harmless (and sometimes even useful) compound is broken down into a potent poison under the action of enzymes and other substances. In the stomach, amygdalin undergoes hydrolysis, and one molecule of glucose is split off from its molecule - prunazine is formed (some of it is contained in the seeds of berries and fruits initially). Further, enzyme systems (prunasin-β-glucosidase) are included in the work, which “bite off” the last remaining glucose, after which the mandelonitrile compound remains from the original molecule. In fact, this is a meta compound that either sticks together into a single molecule, then again breaks down into components - benzaldehyde (a weak poison with a semi-lethal dose, that is, a dose that causes the death of half the members of the test group, DL50 - 1.3 g / kg of rat body weight) and hydrocyanic acid (DL50 - 3.7 mg/kg rat body weight). It is these two substances in a pair that provide the characteristic smell of bitter almonds.

There is not a single confirmed case of death in the medical literature after eating peach or apricot kernels, although poisoning cases have been described that required hospitalization. And there is a fairly simple explanation for this: only raw bones are needed for the formation of poison, and you can’t eat a lot of them. Why raw? In order for amygdalin to turn into hydrocyanic acid, enzymes are needed, and under the influence of high temperature ( Sun rays, boiling, frying) they are denatured. So compotes, jams and "hot" bones are completely safe. Purely theoretically, poisoning with a tincture of fresh cherries or apricots is possible, since there are no denaturing factors in this case. But there, another mechanism for neutralizing the resulting hydrocyanic acid, described at the end of the article, comes into play.

Why is acid called hydrocyanic? The cyano group in combination with iron gives a rich bright blue color. The best-known compound is Prussian blue, a mixture of hexacyanoferrates with the idealized formula Fe7(CN)18. It was from this dye that hydrogen cyanide was isolated in 1704. From it, pure hydrocyanic acid was obtained and its structure was determined in 1782 by the outstanding Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. According to legend, four years later, on his wedding day, Scheele died at his desk. Among the reagents that surrounded him was HCN.

Military background

The effectiveness of cyanides for targeted elimination of the enemy has always attracted the military. But large-scale experiments became possible only at the beginning of the 20th century, when methods were developed for the production of cyanide in industrial quantities.

On July 1, 1916, the French used hydrogen cyanide for the first time in the battles near the Somme. German troops. However, the attack failed: HCN vapor is lighter than air and quickly evaporated when high temperature, so that the “chlorine” trick with an ominous cloud creeping along the ground could not be repeated. Attempts to weight hydrogen cyanide with arsenic trichloride, tin chloride and chloroform were unsuccessful, so the use of cyanides had to be forgotten. More precisely, to postpone - until the Second World War.

The German school of chemistry and the chemical industry at the beginning of the 20th century knew no equal. Outstanding scientists worked for the benefit of the country, including the 1918 Nobel laureate Fritz Haber. Under his leadership, a group of researchers from the newly founded German Pest Control Society (Degesch) modified hydrocyanic acid, which had been used as a fumigant since the late 19th century. To reduce the volatility of the compound, German chemists used an adsorbent. Before use, the pellets had to be immersed in water to release the insecticide accumulated in them. The product was named "Cyclone". In 1922, Degesch was taken over by the Degussa company. In 1926, a patent was registered for a group of developers for a second, very successful version of the insecticide - "Zyklon B", which was distinguished by a more powerful sorbent, the presence of a stabilizer, and an irritant that caused eye irritation - to avoid accidental poisoning.

Meanwhile, Haber has been actively promoting the idea of ​​chemical weapons since the First World War, and many of his developments were purely military value. “If soldiers die in the war, then what difference does it make - from what exactly,” he said. Haber's scientific and business career was steadily going uphill, and he naively believed that his services to Germany had long since made him a full-fledged German. To the rising Nazis, however, he was primarily a Jew. Gaber began to look for work in other countries, but, despite all his scientific achievements, many scientists did not forgive him for the development of chemical weapons. Nevertheless, in 1933, Haber and his family went to France, then to Spain, then to Switzerland, where he died in January 1934, fortunately for himself without having time to see for what purposes the Nazis used Zyklon B.

operand modus

Vapors of hydrocyanic acid are not very effective as a poison when inhaled, but when ingested, its DL50 salts are only 2.5 mg / kg of body weight (for potassium cyanide). cyanides block final stage transfer of protons and electrons by a chain of respiratory enzymes from oxidized substrates to oxygen, that is, they stop cellular respiration. This process is not fast - minutes even at ultra-high doses. But the cinematography showing the rapid action of cyanides does not lie: the first phase of poisoning - loss of consciousness - really occurs after a few seconds. A few more minutes of agony lasts - convulsions, rise and fall blood pressure, and only then comes the cessation of breathing and cardiac activity.

At lower doses, several periods of poisoning can even be tracked. First bitter taste and burning in the mouth, salivation, nausea, headache, increased breathing, impaired coordination of movements, increasing weakness. Later, painful shortness of breath joins, there is not enough oxygen for the tissues, so the brain gives a command to speed up and deepen breathing (this is a very characteristic symptom). Gradually, breathing is oppressed, another characteristic symptom appears - a short inhalation and a very long exhalation. The pulse becomes more rare, the pressure drops, the pupils dilate, the skin and mucous membranes turn pink, and do not turn blue or turn pale, as in other cases of hypoxia. If the dose is non-lethal, everything is limited to this, after a few hours the symptoms disappear. Otherwise, it is the turn of loss of consciousness and convulsions, and then arrhythmia occurs, cardiac arrest is possible. Sometimes paralysis and prolonged (up to several days) coma develop.

Amygdalin is popular with near-medical charlatans who call themselves representatives of alternative medicine. Since 1961, under the brand name "Laetrile" or under the name "Vitamin B17", a semi-synthetic analog of amygdalin has been actively promoted as a "cancer cure". No scientific basis under it no. In 2005, a case of severe cyanide poisoning was described in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy: a 68-year-old patient took Laetrile, as well as overdose of vitamin C, hoping to increase the preventive effect. As it turned out, such a combination leads exactly in the opposite direction from health.

Poisoned - poison

Cyanides have a very high affinity for ferric iron, which is why they rush into cells to respiratory enzymes. So the idea of ​​a decoy for poison was in the air. It was first implemented in 1929 by Romanian researchers Mladoveanu and Georgiou, who first poisoned a dog with a lethal dose of cyanide and then saved it with intravenous sodium nitrite. It is now food supplement E250 is defamed by everyone who is not too lazy, but the animal, by the way, survived: sodium nitrite in conjunction with hemoglobin forms methemoglobin, on which cyanides in the blood “peck” better than on respiratory enzymes, for which you still need to get inside the cell.

Nitrites oxidize hemoglobin very quickly, so one of the most effective antidotes (antidotes) - amyl nitrite, isoamyl ester of nitrous acid - just inhale from a cotton swab, as ammonia. Later it turned out that methemoglobin not only binds cyanide ions circulating in the blood, but also unblocks the respiratory enzymes “closed” by them. The group of methemoglobin-forming agents, however, already slower, also includes the dye methylene blue (known as "blue").

There are also back side medals: when administered intravenously, nitrites themselves become poisons. So it is possible to saturate the blood with methemoglobin only with strict control of its content, no more than 25–30% of the total mass of hemoglobin. There is one more nuance: the binding reaction is reversible, that is, after a while the formed complex will decompose and cyanide ions will rush into the cells to their traditional targets. So we need another line of defense, which is used, for example, cobalt compounds (cobalt salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, hydroxycobalamin - one of the B12 vitamins), as well as the anticoagulant heparin, beta-hydroxyethylmethyleneamine, hydroquinone, sodium thiosulfate.

Amygdalin is found in plants of the Rosaceae family (plum genus - cherry, cherry plum, sakura, sweet cherry, peach, apricot, almond, bird cherry, plum), as well as in representatives of the cereal, legume, adox (genus elder) families, flax (flax genus), euphorbiaceae (genus cassava). The content of amygdalin in berries and fruits depends on many different factors. So, in the seeds of apples it can be from 1 to 4 mg / kg. In freshly squeezed apple juice - 0.01-0.04 mg / ml, and in packaged juice - 0.001-0.007 ml / ml. For comparison, apricot kernels contain 89–2170 mg/kg.

Incident of Rasputin

But the most interesting antidote is much simpler and more accessible. Chemists still in late XIX centuries have noticed that cyanides are converted into non-toxic compounds when interacting with sugar (this happens especially effectively in solution). The mechanism of this phenomenon was explained in 1915 by the German scientists Rupp and Golze: cyanides, reacting with substances containing an aldehyde group, form cyanohydrins. There are such groups in glucose, and the amygdalin mentioned at the beginning of the article is essentially glucose-neutralized cyanide.

If Prince Yusupov or one of the conspirators who joined him, Purishkevich or Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, knew about this, they would not start filling cakes (where sucrose has already been hydrolyzed to glucose) and wine (where glucose is also available), intended for treats Grigory Rasputin, potassium cyanide. However, there is an opinion that he was not poisoned at all, and the story about the poison appeared to confuse the investigation. Poison was not found in the stomach of the "royal friend", but this means absolutely nothing - no one was looking for cyanohydrins there.

Glucose has its advantages: for example, it is able to restore hemoglobin. This turns out to be very useful for "picking up" detached cyanide ions when using nitrites and other "poisonous antidotes". There is even a ready-made drug, "chromosmon" - a 1% solution of methylene blue in a 25% glucose solution. But there are also annoying downsides. First, cyanohydrins are formed slowly, much more slowly than methemoglobin. Secondly, they are formed only in the blood and only before the poison penetrates the cells to the respiratory enzymes. In addition, eating potassium cyanide with a piece of sugar will not work: sucrose does not react directly with cyanides, it must first be decomposed into glucose with fructose. So if you are afraid of cyanide poisoning, it is better to carry an ampoule of amyl nitrite with you - crush it in a handkerchief and breathe for 10-15 seconds. And then you can call an ambulance and complain that you were poisoned with cyanide. The doctors will be surprised!

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Human poisoning can happen accidentally or intentionally. Many have heard of such a poison as potassium cyanide. It acts quite quickly on a person and often cyanide poisoning ends in serious consequences or death. This poisonous substance is used only in production (manufacturing jewelry, mining precious metals), in everyday life it is not often found.

How to determine potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide, or potassium cyanide, is a substance that is a combination of hydrocyanic acid and potassium hydroxide. It is very toxic. However, it should be noted that this poisonous substance is not particularly resistant to decay. That is, at certain conditions(concentrated glucose solution, high humidity environment) the hazardous compound is oxidized and decomposed.

Can this poison be detected? This is quite difficult, since he does not have special hallmarks, and when it gets into food and drinks, it is not distinguishable.

Feature of Potassium Cyanide:

• The type of this substance. It is small colorless crystals. It looks like regular refined sugar;
• Solubility. Poison crystals dissolve well in water. In this case, the liquid does not change its color and consistency;
• Smell. We can say that potassium cyanide does not smell at all. Although some people, due to their genetic predisposition, can distinguish a slight aroma of almonds.

How can you get poisoned?

Potassium cyanide can be found in some plant foods.:

• Almonds, cassava;
• Bones fruit trees(cherry, apricot, peach, plum).

If these products are consumed large quantities, then symptoms of mild intoxication may occur.

Industries and industries that use cyanide:

Causes of cyanide poisoning:

• Violation of safety precautions and rules of use when working with a toxic substance in production;
• Non-compliance with the rules for handling rodent poison;

• Accidents at work;
• Eating tassels of fruit-bearing plants(more often in children). Canned compotes with seeds, as well as frozen cherries, tend to accumulate this dangerous substance. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep these stocks longer than 12 months;
• Intentional use for the purpose of suicide (recently almost not recorded).

Ways of penetration of the poison into the body:

• Airborne - inhalation of poison vapors;
• Food - penetration into the body with food and drinks;
• Contact-household, that is, poisoning with potassium cyanide through the skin and mucous membranes.

The effect of potassium cyanide on the human body

The rate of action of potassium cyanide on the body directly depends on the route of its penetration. In the event that the poison got into the air, then the reaction of the body is lightning fast. When inhaled, this substance quickly penetrates into the blood, with which it spreads throughout the body. When penetrating in other ways, pathological signs increase gradually.

Cyanides disrupt the body at the cellular level.

Cyanides have a negative effect on humans. As soon as the toxic substance has entered the body, it begins to block the cells. That is, the cells of the body lose the ability to absorb oxygen, which is so necessary for life and activity.

Oxygen enters the cells, but they cannot absorb it, due to which hypoxia develops, and then asphyxia. First of all, the cells of the brain suffer, for which oxygen is vital for work.

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Venous and arterial blood are compared in terms of oxygen concentration. Therefore, the color of venous blood changes. She becomes scarlet. The skin becomes hyperemic.

The heart and lungs also suffer from hypoxia. The heart rhythm is disturbed, ischemia occurs. Lung cells do not absorb oxygen, which leads to suffocation and asphyxia (breathing stops).

Symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning

In the clinical picture of poisoning, 4 stages are distinguished, which depend on the concentration of the poison that has entered the body.

The first stage is prodromal. This mild poisoning, which is manifested by the following pathological signs:

The second stage is dyspnoetic. It develops upon further contact with a poisonous substance. The dyspnoetic stage is characterized by the presence of such symptoms of cyanide poisoning:

• Anxiety of the victim;
• Feeling of fear of death;
• Bradycardia (pulse becomes rare);
• Impaired coordination of movements;
• Dizziness;
• redness of the skin, perspiration;
• Trembling of the limbs (tremor);
• The eyeballs are bulging, the pupils are dilated. Their reaction to light is preserved;
• Severe shortness of breath, tachypnea.

Third stage convulsive:

• Vomit;
• convulsions;
• Loss of consciousness;
• The bullet is weak, threadlike;
• Body temperature rises sharply;
• Decreased blood pressure.

At this stage of intoxication, immediate qualified medical assistance is required.

Fourth stage paralytic:

• Bright blush;
• Cessation of seizures;
• Sensitivity skin absent;
• Paresis and paralysis, including the respiratory center;
• Absence of breath.

First aid and treatment after poisoning

In case of potassium cyanide poisoning, it is imperative to call an ambulance team, which will ensure the hospitalization of the patient. Before the arrival of doctors, first aid should be provided to the victim in order to alleviate his condition:

Antidotes are:

• 5 or 40% glucose solution;
• 2% sodium nitrite solution;
• 1% methylene blue solution;
• 25% sodium thiosulfate solution;
• Amyl nitrite. This solution is applied to a cotton swab and the victim is allowed to breathe.

The victim is hospitalized in the intensive care unit, where appropriate treatment is carried out:

Consequences and complications

When working with cyanides, chronic poisoning can develop, which appears:

• Severe headaches;
• dizziness;
• Irritability;
• Decreased memory;
• Sleep disturbance;
• Unpleasant sensations and pains in the region of the heart.

With a long course of chronic intoxication, severe pathologies develop. various systems(nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, excretory).

Complications of cyanide poisoning are:

• Persistent memory impairment (difficulties in remembering new information, disappearance of certain moments of the past from the memory);
• In severe poisoning, severe brain damage is observed., which is manifested by a decrease in intellectual and cognitive abilities;
• Chronic headaches;
• Nervous breakdowns and depression;
• Changes in blood pressure;
• Change in heart rate;
• Coma and convulsions are early complications that are life-threatening for the victim;
• IN severe cases death.

Death from potassium cyanide: lethal dose and causes of death

Death from potassium cyanide is quite real. This is a very toxic substance, which even in small doses has an extremely negative effect.

17 milligrams of potassium cyanide per 1 kilogram of human weight is lethal dose.

When this concentration enters the body, death occurs in a matter of minutes. In this case, the person does not even have time to provide first aid to the victim.

Why does death occur with potassium cyanide poisoning? Death occurs with a high concentration of a poisonous substance in the body, as well as with untimely medical care. In this case, a paralytic stage quickly occurs, which often ends in the death of the patient. Many organs and systems stop working.

The causes of death are:

• Brain damage. Paralysis of the respiratory center occurs. In this case, respiratory arrest is of central origin;
• Hypoxia of brain and heart tissues;
• Respiratory and cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death.

It is impossible to avoid a lethal outcome when a lethal dose is received.

In all other cases, in order to save the patient, it is necessary to help him and introduce antidotes as soon as possible.

Many people know about potassium cyanide poisoning. The substance has long been used for criminal purposes to eliminate unwanted individuals. However, these days there are ways to quickly determine poisoning with a similar substance, there is an antidote. What happens if you drink potassium cyanide? How dangerous is the poison to human health?

What it is

What is potassium cyanide? Dangerous compound, hydrocyanic acid derivative. Discovered in 1845 by a German professor, the formula is KCN. The basis of the toxic substance is hydrocyanic acid and potassium hydroxide interacting with it.

In the outside world, pure potassium cyanide is not found. However, in the bones of apricots, cherries, peaches, almonds, the compound amygdalin is present, and when split it forms hydrocyanic acid. The resulting toxin acts on humans in a similar way to cyanide.

The harmful compound is found in young elderberry shoots, which causes intoxication in pets.

Poisonings are also diagnosed in industries where they come into contact with a poisonous substance.

Physicochemical characteristics

What does potassium look like in a compound? It is a powder with a crystalline structure, colorless. The compound is highly soluble in water. What does the toxin smell like? It is believed that a solution of potassium cyanide exudes the aroma of bitter almonds.

However, not all people are able to feel it. The cyanide poison is simply displaced in reactions, the compound has low stability and quickly loses harmful properties. Potassium cyanide is oxidized under the influence of moist air and in a solution of glucose, therefore, in case of poisoning, it is used as an antidote.

An overdose of potassium cyanide is rare. There are a number of reasons that can provoke the development of such a phenomenon.

Factors:

• Accidents at work leading to the rapid spread of toxic fumes;
• Failure to comply with the rules for storing poison at home;
• Violation of safety regulations when working with a poisonous substance.

Poisoning can occur at work by inhaling poison concentrated in the air - through the respiratory tract it enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. Signs of intoxication appear after a short period of time.

Negative consequences are possible if cyanide gets on damaged skin or mucous membranes. The toxin spreads through the blood.

Ingestion of potassium cyanide occurs as a result of inattention or for criminal purposes.

How does potassium cyanide affect the body?

When a toxic substance penetrates inside, a specific cellular enzyme is blocked, which saturates the cells with oxygen. Due to the presence of gas in the blood, the cells begin to gradually die, which provokes the death of the body. The result is similar to death from lack of air.

The lethal dosage of this poison is 1.7 mg/kg of body weight. The indicator varies depending on age, condition, gender, and the presence of other diseases.

Potassium cyanide is equated with potent poisons and treated with serious attention. Workers in constant contact with the compound hold a small piece of sugar in their mouths.

This action helps to neutralize small doses of the toxin that enters the body. It is recommended to know that with a full stomach, the absorption of poison is slow.

Useful properties of a chemical compound

The cyanide compound not only leads to poisoning, but is also useful. Toxic powder is present in many areas of life.

Application:

1. Galvanic production;
2. mining industry;
3. photo labs;
4. In jewelry production;
5. Small volumes are used by entomologists for the "preservation" of insects;
6. Included in the composition of artistic paints - Prussian blue, milori;

It can also be found in insect and rodent control products. It is required to carefully monitor where the toxic substance is located, do not leave containers with powder in places accessible to children and animals.

Chronic forms of poisoning are also possible in people who do not work with the toxin. The use of water contaminated with industrial waste for domestic purposes can lead to disruption internal organs and systems.

If you drink, what will happen?

Potassium cyanide reacts with blood after a short period of time. Lack of oxygen in the cells leads to disruption of all processes in the body. The victim has a blush on his face, the skin becomes light pink, the venous blood acquires a bright scarlet hue due to the increased oxygen content.

There is a violation of the respiratory function, the person simply begins to suffocate. However, when using a small dose of a poisonous substance, death does not occur immediately. The victim loses consciousness, if at this moment you do not help, then the person will die.

How does poisoning manifest itself? Potassium cyanide intoxication conditionally consists of four stages. Each is characterized by the presence of specific manifestations.

Stages and signs:

💡 Prodromal. Symptoms of poisoning only appear.

• Bitter taste in the mouth, unpleasant taste sensations;
• Mucous membranes irritated;
• Tickle in the throat;
• The separation of saliva increases;
• There is a slight numbness of the mucous membranes;
• Nausea, vomiting, dizziness;
• Unpleasant sensations and soreness in the sternum;

💡 The second stage is characterized by the development oxygen starvation in organism.

1. Arterial pressure decreases;
2. Soreness in the chest becomes more intense;
3. Violation of the respiratory process;
4. Feeling very dizzy, feeling unwell;
5. Red whites of the eyes, dilated pupils;
6. Feelings of fear, panic attacks;

💡 Cell necrosis.

• Spasmodic manifestations in muscle tissue;
• Paralysis;
• Involuntary separation of urine and feces;
• Violation of consciousness;

The fourth stage is death. 5-20 minutes after potassium cyanide enters the body, the victim dies.

With a minimum dosage of a poisonous substance, the first symptoms appear after forty minutes. A small concentration of poison allows the liver to cope with harmful influence.

Chronic intoxication is characterized by the slow development of unpleasant symptoms. Potassium cyanide accumulates in the body gradually, the risk of death increases every day.

If the death of the victim does not occur within four hours, then the body will independently cope with the poison and gradually remove it. Most often, the brain suffers, which provokes a violation of the work of many organs.

Methods and methods of treatment

The negative effect of potassium cyanide is noted after short term Therefore, the injured person needs to be helped as soon as possible.

In first aid kits industrial enterprises, whose work is associated with a similar toxin, an antidote is always present. The introduction of the substance is carried out according to the instructions.

First aid:

1. Call an ambulance;
2. The injured person is placed on flat surface, make sure that he is conscious, talk to him;
3. In the absence of signs of life, resuscitation is carried out;
4. If possible, a person is placed on his side to avoid choking with vomit;
5. Do a gastric lavage, it is permissible for a similar purpose to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
6. After cleansing, any sorbent is given, this will help to remove potassium cyanide in a short time;
7. The victim is given strong tea with sugar to drink, the drink will help bind the poison;

After providing first aid, the patient is transferred to the doctors. With any degree of overdose, treatment is carried out in a medical institution. Antidotes are administered first - amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, methylene blue.

All dosages are calculated by the doctor depending on the patient's condition. Another, she is able to weaken the effect of a poisonous substance on a person by reacting with it. Treatment is carried out until the full restoration of all functions in the body.

Prevention

Cyanide poisoning often occurs in industrial environment. People whose work is related to potassium cyanide are advised to follow preventive rules.

Measures:

• With an increase in the concentration of a toxic product in the air, the room is immediately left.
• During work use protective equipment and costumes.
• Any action with potassium cyanide is carried out in glasses to avoid irritation of the mucous membrane and the penetration of poison through it.
• First aid kits should always have an antidote.
• It is recommended to explain to all workers how first aid is provided.

Any interaction with potassium cyanide requires care and caution. Poisoning develops rapidly, in the absence of medical care, a fatal outcome is possible. At home, work with the substance or try to get it is prohibited.

The blogger drank a solution with cyanide - video

Or potassium cyanide - hydrocyanic acid potassium salt, chemical formula KCN. Colorless crystals, similar in texture and size to granulated sugar. Highly soluble in water (41.7% by weight at 25°C, 55% at 100°C). Poorly soluble in ethanol, insoluble in hydrocarbons.

Potassium cyanide in water has a bitter almond odor to some people, but is odorless to others. It is assumed that this difference is due to genetics.

Receipt

Potassium cyanide in the laboratory is obtained by reacting cyanide with potassium hydroxide:

Potassium cyanide can also be obtained from ammonia chloroform and potassium hydroxide:

Chemical properties

Since hydrocyanic acid, corresponding to the cyanide ion, is very weak, potassium cyanide is easily displaced from salts by stronger acids. So, for example, in air, potassium cyanide eventually turns into non-toxic potassium carbonate (potash) as a result of reaction with carbon dioxide and water:

Formally, unstable weak carbonic acid is involved in this process, which displaces hydrocyanic acid from the salt.

Toxicity

A very strong inorganic poison. When hit through digestive system the lethal human dose is 1.7 mg/kg. Slowdown of action is possible when the stomach is filled with food. Antidote properties have methemoglobin-forming substances containing sulfur and carbohydrates. Methemoglobin-forming agents include anticyan, amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, methylene blue. They oxidize iron hemoglobin a, turning it into methemoglobin.

Impact on the body

Potassium cyanide is a powerful inhibitor. When it enters the body, it blocks the cellular enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, as a result of which the cells lose their ability to absorb oxygen from the blood and the body dies from interstitial hypoxia. It is interesting that this poison does not work on some animals or it works very weakly: for example, on ordinary hedgehogs.

Potassium cyanide is the most infamous poison. He gained his fame thanks to the authors of detective novels, who often "used" this poisonous substance in their works. However, in nature there are poisons that act much faster and more efficiently than potassium cyanide. Obviously, the popularity of this substance is also due to the availability of acquisition on turn of XIX-XX centuries, when it could be easily purchased at any pharmacy. But what are cyanides today? What types of toxic substances from this family exist? Where are they used and is it possible to get poisoned with this poison today? It is these questions that will be discussed in this article.

What it is

Potassium cyanide is chemical compound, derived from hydrocyanic acid. The cyanide formula is KCN. This substance was first obtained by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1782, and in the middle of the 19th century, the German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen developed a method for the industrial synthesis of poison. It was assumed that this substance would not be used for the purpose of killing their own kind, but for the control of agricultural pests and in the leather industry. Derivatives of hydrocyanic acid were often used as a coloring pigment in paints.

Nevertheless, at the beginning of the 20th century, the French military first used cyanides as chemical weapon. Despite the fact that the gas attack in the battles on the banks of the Seine did not bring the expected result, some German scientists considered the "prospects" of using cyanide in military operations. During the Second World War, the Nazis were already widely using more advanced modifications of poisonous substances created on the basis of cyanides in concentration camps and on some sectors of the front.

Types of cyanides

What is potassium cyanide and what effect it has on the human body, most people probably know. However, few people know that the toxic family can contain both organic and inorganic cyanides.

The first group is mainly used in pharmacology and agriculture (in the fight against harmful insects). The second group found wide application in the chemical industry and photo printing, leather and textile production, as well as in mining and electroplating.

What does it look like

People who know what cyanide is describe it as a translucent powder with a crystalline structure. This substance is completely soluble in water. However, due to the fact that stronger acids can easily displace hydrocyanic acid from the compound, this toxic substance is considered an extremely unstable compound. As a result of the ongoing reactions, the elements of the CN cyano group volatilize, so the original compound loses its toxic properties. Humid air can have a negative effect on the toxic effect.

Smell

It is believed that potassium cyanide has a specific smell of rancid almonds, however, not all people are able to catch it. This is due to the individual characteristics of the olfactory apparatus of each person.

Where is cyanide found?

What is cyanide in nature and where can it be found? IN pure form potassium cyanide does not exist in nature, however, poisonous compounds of cyano groups - amygdalins, can be found in apricot, cherry, peach and plum pits. They can be found in almonds. Elderberry leaves and shoots also contain amygdalin.

The danger to the human body when using these products is hydrocyanic acid, which is formed during the breakdown of amygdalin. Death can occur after consuming just one gram of the substance, which corresponds to about 100 grams of apricot kernels.

In everyday life, cyanide can be found in reagents used in darkrooms, as well as in preparations for cleaning jewelry. Some of this substance is used in insect traps. Cyanides are added to art paints that have azure hues. Due to the interaction with iron, which is also part of gouache and watercolors, they give a deep blue color.

Risk of poisoning

Hydrocyanic acid salts and cyanides are very toxic substances that can cause severe forms of poisoning. The greatest likelihood of getting poisoned from the action of cyanide is in people working in mining and ore-dressing mines and in electroplating shops. Here, potassium or sodium cyanides are used in technological processes when metals are catalyzed.

People who are in the zone of toxic emissions from these enterprises also have the risk of getting poisoned by such toxic substances. Thus, on the territory of Romania and Hungary in the early 2000s, as a result of accidental discharges from mining and processing enterprises into the Danube River, residents of the floodplain neighborhood suffered.

At risk of getting toxic cyanide poisoning are employees of special laboratories in which these substances are used as reagents.

Human impact

Under the influence of poison, a cellular enzyme is blocked - cytochrome oxidase, which is responsible for the absorption of oxygen in the cell. As a result, the cells are filled with oxygen, but they cannot absorb it. This leads to the fact that in the body there is a violation of vital metabolic processes. The effect of such exposure is tantamount to suffocation.

Cyanides are poisonous when ingested with food or water, poisoning can be obtained as a result of inhalation of the vapors of the solution. Cyanides can penetrate through damaged skin.

Even in small quantities, they are extremely dangerous for the health of living organisms. Due to the high toxicity, the use of these drugs is controlled with particular rigor.

Symptoms of poisoning

A mild form of cyanide poisoning is accompanied by a sore throat, dizziness, drooling, vomiting, and a panic attack. In more severe forms, bitterness in the mouth increases, heart pains appear, the person loses consciousness, convulsions and paralysis begin. respiratory tract. Severe poisoning is usually accompanied by uncontrolled urinary incontinence and bowel movements, excessive redness of the skin and mucous membranes. After these manifestations comes death.

First aid

To provide adequate assistance, it is first necessary to establish how the poison could enter the body of the victim. If the poisoning occurred through the skin, then it is necessary to change clothes, on which, most likely, particles of the poisonous substance remained. The victim himself must be wiped with soapy water.

If the poison has entered the body along with food, then first of all it is necessary to induce vomiting and rinse the stomach. To do this, you need to drink a large amount of water with the addition of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or baking soda. After washing the stomach, the victim is given any sweet drink. To alleviate the symptoms of poisoning, the victim must be removed to fresh air.

If the victim is unconscious, it is necessary to monitor his heartbeat and breathing. In the absence of breathing, artificial respiration should be performed. However, a person conducting such events should exclude possible poisoning by poison vapors and seek medical help.

In any case, you must call ambulance. Only a medical professional with special education and experience can take adequate treatment measures. Arriving doctors must be informed that the cause of poisoning is hydrocyanic acid. In this case, the doctor will intravenously inject an antidote - sodium thiosulfate. The antidote helps to reduce the harmful effects of the poison. If necessary, the doctor will take resuscitation measures and hospitalize the victim for further treatment.

Antidotes

The lethal dose for humans is 17 mg per kilogram. total weight body. Death occurs just a few minutes after a sufficient amount of poison enters the body. However, this number is considered conditional. The degree of poisoning depends on the method of entry, the physical characteristics of the person and the food consumed. With regular ingestion of small doses of cyanide poison, poisoning occurs gradually, over a long time.

It has been proven that when cyanide enters the body, ordinary glucose is a kind of antidote to the toxic property of the substance. Sugar contributes to the instantaneous oxidation of hydrocyanic acid compounds and potassium salts. Therefore, people who come into contact with toxic compounds usually carry a few pieces of sugar with them. At the first symptoms of poisoning, they eat it to neutralize the action of poisonous compounds.