| Agent Name | Sodium cyanide |
|---|---|
| CAS Number | 143-33-9 |
| Formula | C-N-Na |
| Major Category | Toxic Gases & Vapors |
| Synonyms | Cianuro di sodio [Italian]; Cyanasalt H; Cyanasalt S; Cyanide of sodium; Cyanobrik; Cyanogran; Cyanure de sodium [French]; Cyanure de sodium [ISO-French]; Cymag; Hydrocyanic acid, sodium salt; Kyanid sodny [Czech]; M-44 cyanide capsules; Sodium cyanide; Sodium cyanide [ISO]; [ChemIDplus] UN1689 |
| Category | Cyanides |
| Description | White, granular or crystalline solid with a faint, almond-like odor; [NIOSH] Deliquescent; [CHEMINFO] |
| Sources/Uses | Used to clean metals, chelate compounds, and extract gold and silver; Used to manufacture dyes, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals; Also used in electroplating, heat treating, and metal stripping; Used as a rodenticide (killing coyote, fox, and wild dogs) and insecticide (fumigating trucks and post-harvest application to fruit trees); [HSDB] |
| 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] Liquid causes second degree burns after contact for a few minutes; [CHRIS] Corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] A severe skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [ICSC] |
| Reference Link | |
| Exposure Assessment | |
| Skin Designation (ACGIH) | Yes |
| Dangerous When Wet | Yes - A material that, by contact with water, is liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate greater than 1 L per kilogram of the material, per hour; [ERG 2004] |
| Ceiling (ACGIH) | 5 mg/m3, as CN |
| PEL (OSHA) | 5 mg/m3, as CN |
| MAK | 3.8 mg/m3, as CN, inhalable fraction |
| IDLH (NIOSH) | 25 mg/m3, as CN |
| Reference Link | |
| Adverse Effects | |
| Other Poison | Chemical Asphyxiant |
| Dermatotoxin | Skin Burns |
| Links to Other NLM Databases | |
| Health Studies | Human Health Effects from Hazardous Substances Data Bank: |
| Toxicity Information | |
| Chemical Information | |
| Biomedical References | |
| Related Information in HazMap | |
| Diseases | Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent: |
| Processes | Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: |
Agent Name
Sodium cyanide
CAS Number
143-33-9
Formula
C-N-Na
Major Category
Toxic Gases & Vapors
Synonyms
Cianuro di sodio [Italian]; Cyanasalt H; Cyanasalt S; Cyanide of sodium; Cyanobrik; Cyanogran; Cyanure de sodium [French]; Cyanure de sodium [ISO-French]; Cymag; Hydrocyanic acid, sodium salt; Kyanid sodny [Czech]; M-44 cyanide capsules; Sodium cyanide; Sodium cyanide [ISO]; [ChemIDplus] UN1689
Category
Cyanides
Description
White, granular or crystalline solid with a faint, almond-like odor; [NIOSH] Deliquescent; [CHEMINFO]
Sources/Uses
Used to clean metals, chelate compounds, and extract gold and silver; Used to manufacture dyes, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals; Also used in electroplating, heat treating, and metal stripping; Used as a rodenticide (killing coyote, fox, and wild dogs) and insecticide (fumigating trucks and post-harvest application to fruit trees); [HSDB]
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] Liquid causes second degree burns after contact for a few minutes; [CHRIS] Corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] A severe skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; [ICSC]
Reference Link
Exposure Assessment
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Yes
Dangerous When Wet
Yes - A material that, by contact with water, is liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate greater than 1 L per kilogram of the material, per hour; [ERG 2004]
Ceiling (ACGIH)
5 mg/m3, as CN
PEL (OSHA)
5 mg/m3, as CN
MAK
3.8 mg/m3, as CN, inhalable fraction
IDLH (NIOSH)
25 mg/m3, as CN
Reference Link
Adverse Effects
Other Poison
Chemical Asphyxiant
Dermatotoxin
Skin Burns
Links to Other NLM Databases
Toxicity Information
Chemical Information
Biomedical References
Related Information in HazMap
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: