What is cyanide? Cyanides and their effect on the human body

In 1945, the novel "Shining Cyanide" by Agatha Christie was published. The detective turned out to be fascinating and interesting. However, not everyone knows that such a cyanide does not exist. So what is this substance and how does it affect the human body?

What is cyanide?

Cyanides are a class of high-speed substances that have a detrimental effect on the human body. In other words, it's poisons. Their toxicity can easily be explained by the negative impact of some of their constituents on cellular respiration. In turn, the work of the whole organism is disrupted. Cells just stop functioning. After that important systems of the body cease to perform their functions, and a pathological severe condition arises that often ends in a fatal outcome.

So what is cyanide? First of all, these are derivatives of hydrocyanic acid. The formula of cyanide potassium is quite simple: KCN. This substance was first obtained by the German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. In addition, the scientist has also developed industrial methods for its synthesis. It happened in 1845.

Some properties of matter

Potassium cyanide is a white powder with a crystalline structure. The substance is perfectly soluble in water. The poison has a peculiar smell, but it can be felt by about 50% of the population of our planet. It should be noted that potassium cyanide is an unstable substance. It is oxidized in solutions containing glucose, and at a sufficient level of humidity.

It is also often found and sodium cyanide. The formula for this substance is NaCN. Sodium cyanide is a white clay, powder, paste or hygroscopic crystals. The substance is also unstable. It dissolves rapidly in menthol and in water. By itself, sodium cyanide is not flammable. However, on contact with moist air, the substance emits a gas that is easily ignited. When burning, sodium cyanide releases toxic and irritating vapors. They can cause serious poisoning. Volatile substances also form hydrolysis of cyanides.

Cyanide in plants

What is cyanide, figured out. But how is it received and for what? Cyanides are produced not only synthetically. These substances are also found in nature. This increases the risk of intentional or accidental poisoning. Poison can be obtained from certain foods and plants. It is for this reason that you should know all the sources of cyanide.

The list of dangerous products includes Lima beans, almonds and cassava. In addition, cyanide is found in the bones of pears, plums, apricots, cherries, peaches and even apples. The poisoning occurs only in those cases when the body receives an excessive amount of dangerous products. In the risk group are those people who have an individual intolerance.

Application of cyanide

Cyanide solutions are used in many industries. These substances are commonly used for the manufacture of paper, plastic and some varieties of textiles. As a rule, the poison is present in many reagents, which are used for developing photographs. In metallurgy, the substance considered by us is used to purify electroplating and metals, as well as to extract gold from ores.

In addition, cyanide is used in the form of gas in combination with other substances to disinfect storage facilities with grain. Similar compounds can destroy rodents.

Influence on the body

When cyanide enters a living organism, a special enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, is blocked. As a result, the tissue lacks the required amount of oxygen. This leads to the development of asphyxia.

First of all, tissue hypoxia affects the brain. As a result, CNS paralysis develops. All this leads to a rapid lethal outcome. As for the symptoms of poisoning, they arise almost instantly.

The severity of a patient's condition depends, first of all, on the way the poison has got into the body. When inhaled vapors and gases, poisoning occurs instantaneously. Very rarely, cyanide penetrates through the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, the symptoms of poisoning can occur gradually.

When there are signs of poisoning

As already mentioned, the signs of poisoning and the degree of their manifestation depend on how the poison has got into the body and in what quantity. For humans, the lethal dose of cyanide is only 0.1 mg / l. Death occurs within an hour. If the body gets 0.12-0.15 mg / l, then a person dies in half an hour.

If the concentration of the poisonous substance is increased to 0.2 mg, then the lethal outcome occurs within 10 minutes. It is worth considering that a person is able to withstand cyanide poisoning under certain conditions. This is possible if the concentration of the poison does not exceed 0.55 mg / l and the poison does not act more than one minute.

If cyanide enters the body with gas, the symptoms are observed after a couple of seconds. If the poisonous substance has got through the stomach, the clinical picture develops after a few minutes.

The main symptoms of poisoning

Cyanide is a poison that begins to act immediately as soon as it enters the human body. At high dosages of a poisonous substance, the symptoms of poisoning are immediately apparent. Here are the main features:

1. First of all, the victim loses consciousness.
2. Paralysis of the respiratory system occurs immediately. In addition, the work of the heart muscles is blocked.
3. Death.

With minor doses, symptoms occur gradually:

1. The initial stage of cyanide poisoning is characterized by dizziness, acute and rapidly growing headache, palpitations and breathing, a sense of heaviness in the frontal lobes, a tide to the head of the blood.
2. The second stage is shortness of breath. At the same time, breathing becomes noisy, deep and rare. The pulse in the victim slows down, nausea, vomiting, dilated pupils.
3. At the next stage, the person loses consciousness. Quite often tetanic convulsions cause spasms of chewing muscles, which can result in biting the tongue.
4. The next stage is paralysis. The victim loses not only reflexes, but also sensitivity. Breath very rare. In addition, involuntary emptying of the intestine and urination are possible. If you do not provide first aid to the victim, then cardiac activity will cease and death will occur.

In conclusion

Now you know what cyanide is and how it affects the human body. Alas, not always this substance was used for peaceful purposes. Hydrogen cyanide was a part of such a poisonous gas as the "Cyclone-B" during the Second World War. This weapon was widely used by German troops. It is also believed that this poison gas was used in 1980 during the war between Iran and Iraq.