Potassium cyanide inhibits the action in the body. When signs of poisoning appear. Chemical and physical properties of potassium cyanide, its applications

Potassium cyanide is widely used in the separation of precious metals such as gold and silver from ore. For this purpose, a technique such as cyanidation is used. In addition, potassium cyanide is used in galvanizing products. As for household use, cyanide is used in reagents, for photographs, and the poison is also included in various stains to kill insects. In nature, cyanide is pure form does not occur. However, some cyanide compounds are present in the pits of peaches, cherries, and almonds. Our online store offers potassium cyanide to buy at the most affordable prices. However, first, let's figure out what this substance is.

Did you know?

A few words about interesting facts related to the discovery and use of potassium cyanide. There are some controversial theories about whether it actually smells like almonds, but that's... this moment we are not interested. Back in 1845, chemist Robert Bunsen conducted experiments in his laboratory and, as the author of the spectral analysis method, recorded the production of potassium cyanide. It was this scientist who developed the method industrial production. Today, the sale and synthesis of such a substance is strictly controlled. It is now possible to produce CC in isolated laboratory conditions. But at the end of the 19th century, the question “where to buy cyanide?” was generally simply resolved. That is why potassium cyanide was especially popular among criminals. Fans of detective stories may recall how in Agatha Christie’s story “The Hornet’s Nest”, this substance was acquired for criminal purposes, under the guise of intentions to poison wasps. And only thanks to Poirot, the criminals did not succeed.

Potassium cyanide in entomology

As many years ago, today the use of potassium cyanide to combat insects is also allowed. So there are special stains that do not fit into a large number of cyanide. Several crystals of poison are placed on the bottom of the container and liquid plaster is poured on top. Thus, a chemical reaction occurs, which results in the release of hydrogen cyanide. By inhaling the poison, the insects die, and this is how the stain works. A properly seasoned trap can be “active” for a year, and sometimes even longer. Among chemists, potassium cyanide is called the “king of poisons.” Where can you buy cyanide? We will definitely tell you about this a little later. First, let's get to know him and clarify the goals of such an acquisition.

Cyanide - features

Potassium cyanide is a salt of hydrocyanic acid. Externally, cyanide resembles regular sugar. It is also important to note that cyanide is one of the most potent organic poisons. It is noteworthy that of all the poisonous substances, it is potassium cyanide that has the worst reputation. In almost all detective novels, cyanide is used by attackers to eliminate their enemies. This is primarily due to the fact that at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, anyone could purchase potassium cyanide at any pharmacy. In addition, it should be noted that this substance is easily soluble in ordinary water. If a person has a good sense of smell, he can hear a specific odor similar to almonds.

By looking at our online store, anyone can buy potassium cyanide, the price of which will satisfy even the most demanding buyer. This became possible due to the fact that managers have established close cooperation with potassium cyanide producers. The declared price does not include interest for intermediary services. If you are interested in questions such as, what is potassium cyanide, where can you get this substance? Then this article will undoubtedly arouse your genuine interest.

Effects of potassium cyanide on the human body

Potassium cyanide can enter the human body through the skin, especially if there is any damage to the body. Also, the powder or vapor from the cyanide solution may be inhaled. For humans, the lethal dosage is 1.7 mg per kilogram of weight. Therefore, when using the substance, it is very important to take all precautions.

It remains interesting that the effect of cyanide on the human body is significantly weakened when combined with glucose. That is why specialists who, due to their professional activities, are forced to work with cyanide, hold a small piece of sugar in their cheek. Thus, they neutralize toxic toxins that have entered the blood. Bright to that this could be a confirmation historical fact like the poisoning of Rasputin. After all, in order to send Gregory “to the next world,” cyanide was added to sweet flour products. Even though the dose of the poisonous substance was too high, the sugar did its job, and it was not possible to immediately put an end to Rasputin.

There is also a chronic form of poisoning, when a person works in an industry where this toxic substance is used, the poison gradually accumulates in the body. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the following signs of poisoning: sleep disturbances, frequent headaches, a feeling of pressure in the heart area, weight loss.

Main symptoms of cyanide poisoning

The effect of such a toxic substance as cyanide on the human body manifests itself almost instantly. Symptoms of poisoning directly depend on the dose received, as well as on how sensitive the human body is to this poison.

• Large salivation
• Dizziness
• Feeling of numbness in the mouth and throat
• Compression in the chest area
• Soreness and bitterness in the mouth

If a lethal dose of cyanide enters the human body, symptoms such as fainting, convulsions, uncontrolled urination, tongue biting can be observed. Reason fatal outcome respiratory and cardiac arrest occurs. Therefore, before you get potassium cyanide and start working with this potent toxic substance, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Chronic poisoning with cyanide compounds

Very often, when working with substances that contain cyanide, signs of chronic poisoning may occur. In this case, the picture of the pathological condition will be blurred and extended over time. A person may experience the following symptoms:

• Constant headache
• Dizziness
• Pain and discomfort in the heart area
• Increased sweating
• Frequent urge to urinate

In addition, signs of irritability will disappear, thyroid pathologies will worsen, the skin will begin to peel, itching and other unpleasant symptoms may occur. That is why, when working with chemical elements, it is important to use products personal protection.

Where can you buy potassium cyanide?

Many people, in an attempt to find potassium cyanide, turn to workers who work in gold or silver processing plants. Some people try to bribe medical staff working in medical institutions. It should be noted that in most cases such attempts remain unsuccessful. This is because this chemical is quite dangerous and accountable, so it is unlikely that anyone will risk their job. However, thanks to our virtual resource, there is no need to wonder where to find potassium cyanide. Everything is quite simple, the user goes to the site and leaves a purchase request.

In addition to all of the above, I would like to note that it will not be possible to stock up on potassium cyanide for future use. The thing is that the corresponding cyanide nion, hydrocyanic acid, is a very weak substance, so it is easily replaced by other acids. Thus, cyanide easily becomes completely harmless. To do this, you can conduct a simple experiment. You just need to leave the cyanide for some period of time in the open air; under the influence of carbon dioxide and moisture, it will lose all its toxic properties.

Some people who need potassium cyanide try to make this toxic substance at home. This is possible if a person is familiar with chemistry and has all the necessary reagents at hand. However, experts do not advise risking your health and life, because unlucky chemists can easily be poisoned by toxic fumes. Therefore, the most the right decision there will be potassium cyanide to buy on our trading platform.

For what purposes can cyanide be used?

Several decades ago, this poison was isolated by treating certain plants in the laboratory. Today it is produced synthetically. Where is potassium cyanide used? The use of cyanide is widely known in agriculture and industrial sectors. Such “popularity” of the product allows one to somewhat turn a blind eye to its slight toxicity. Thus, cyanide compounds are widely used in the production of plastics.

We all love to take photographs or be photographed, but in reactive cameras, cyanide, already known to us, is used to develop photos. If the poison is presented in the form of a gas, then it is rational to use it to treat agricultural structures where grain is stored in order to protect against rodents. But history also knows cases of inhumane use of chemicals. Thus, in concentration camps, the Nazis used Cyclon-B gas, which contained poison.

Legal sale of cyanide substances

In our online store you can find potassium cyanide at affordable price. All products of the service are certified, which means that the chemical substance meets its characteristics. In addition, by choosing a payment method convenient for you, you can arrange delivery of your purchase. Why buy from us?

• Affordable prices
• Individual approach
• The product is always in stock
• Only quality products

How to help with potassium cyanide poisoning?

If you neglected the rules of personal protection or violated the storage conditions of the substance, you need to know how to help a person with cyanide poisoning. First you need to provide access fresh air and call an ambulance. If the poison has entered through the skin or clothing soaked in it, it is worth taking off so that the substance does not further enter the body. When consuming toxic contents internally, you need to rinse your stomach. When providing first aid, you need to be as focused and careful as possible. Heart massage can be done if necessary. But artificial respiration is not recommended, because even the one who resuscitates can be poisoned by the poison vapors.

In a hospital setting, doctors prescribe complex treatment. Sugars are used as the first antidote. This may be a glucose solution that is administered intravenously. Sugar helps deactivate the poison, turning it into harmless metabolites. The second antidote may be sodium thiosulfate. Its function is reduced to converting cyanides into thiocyanates, which are not dangerous to the human body. And you can’t do without medications that lead to the formation of cyanmethemoglobin, this could be nitroglycerin, amyl nitrite, methylene blue.

Safe online shopping

By using our service, you can be sure that when you pay money for a product, you will be satisfied with the result. There are no hidden fees or unpleasant surprises. In addition, the customer base of the service is not disclosed, but if you wish, you can always leave your review of the purchase.

Here you can choose potassium cyanide, the price of which will be affordable for you. Delivery throughout the country. We are confident that you need the chemical you need to do useful things, trusting our customers. Before purchasing cyanide, take care of protective equipment and storage conditions.

Advantages of the store:

• Prompt order processing
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• Wholesale and retail trade

Take care of yourself and your health! Remember, even medicine if the dosage is not correct can be poison! Buy from trusted stores!

Strelnikova E.

(“HiZh”, 2011, No. 3)

“I took out a box of potassium cyanide from the supply and put it on the table next to the cakes. Dr. Lazavert put on rubber gloves, took several crystals of poison from it, and ground it into powder. Then he removed the top of the cakes and sprinkled the filling with enough powder, he said, to kill an elephant. There was silence in the room. We watched his actions excitedly. All that remains is to put the poison in the glasses. We decided to put it in at the last moment so that the poison would not evaporate...”

This is not an excerpt from a detective novel, and the words do not belong to fictional character. Here are the memories of Prince Felix Yusupov about the preparation of one of the most famous Russian history crimes - the murder of Grigory Rasputin. It happened in 1916. If before mid-19th century, the main assistant of poisoners was arsenic, then after the introduction of the Marsh method into forensic practice (see article, “Chemistry and Life”, No. 2, 2011), arsenic was resorted to less and less. But potassium cyanide, or potassium cyanide (potassium cyanide, as it was called before), began to be used more and more often.

What it is...

Potassium cyanide is a salt of hydrocyanic acid, or hydrocyanic acid, H-CN; its composition is reflected by the formula KCN. Hydrocyanic acid in the form of an aqueous solution was first obtained by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1782 from the yellow blood salt K4. The reader already knows that Scheele developed the first method for the qualitative determination of arsenic (see “The Mouse, Arsenic and Kalle the Detective”). He opened chemical elements chlorine, manganese, oxygen, molybdenum and tungsten, received arsenic acid and arsine, barium oxide and others inorganic substances. Over half of those known in the 18th century organic compounds also isolated and described by Karl Scheele.

Anhydrous hydrocyanic acid was obtained in 1811 by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac. He also established its composition. Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless volatile liquid that boils at 26°C. The root “cyan” in its name (from the Greek - azure) and the root of the Russian name “cyanic acid” are similar in meaning. This is no coincidence. CN ions – form compounds with iron ions of blue color, including the composition of KFe. This substance is used as a pigment in gouache, watercolor and other paints under the names “Prussian blue”, “milori”, “Prussian blue”. You may be familiar with these paints from gouache or watercolor sets.

Detective authors unanimously claim that hydrocyanic acid and its salts have “the smell of bitter almonds.” Of course, they did not sniff hydrocyanic acid (neither did the author of this article). Information about the “smell of bitter almonds” was gleaned from reference books and encyclopedias. There are other opinions. The author of “Chemistry and Life” A. Kleshchenko, who graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University and is familiar with hydrocyanic acid first-hand, in the article “How to poison a hero” (“Chemistry and Life”, 1999, No. 2) writes that the smell of hydrocyanic acid is not similar to almond.

Crime writers have fallen victim to a long-standing misconception. But on the other hand, the reference book “Harmful chemical substances» were also compiled by specialists. One could, after all, get prussic acid and smell it. But something is scary!

It remains to be assumed that the perception of odors is an individual matter. And what reminds one of the smell of almonds has nothing in common with almonds for another. This idea is confirmed by Peter MacInnis in the book “Silent Killers. The World History poisons and poisonings": "Detective novels always mention the aroma of bitter almonds, which is associated with sodium cyanide, potassium cyanide and hydrogen cyanide (hydrogen cyanide), but only 40-60 percent ordinary people are able to at least smell this specific smell.” Moreover, residents of central Russia, as a rule, are not familiar with bitter almonds: its seeds, unlike sweet almonds, are not eaten and are not sold.

...and why do they eat it?

We'll get back to almonds and their smell later. And now - about potassium cyanide. In 1845, the German chemist Robert Bunsen, one of the authors of the spectral analysis method, obtained potassium cyanide and developed a method for its industrial production. If today this substance is in chemical laboratories and in production under strict control, then at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, potassium cyanide was available to anyone (including attackers). Thus, in Agatha Christie’s story “The Hornet’s Nest,” potassium cyanide was bought at a pharmacy supposedly to kill wasps. The crime was foiled only thanks to the intervention of Hercule Poirot.

Entomologists used (and still use) small amounts of potassium cyanide in insect stains. Several poison crystals are placed at the bottom of the stain and filled with plaster. Cyanide reacts slowly with carbon dioxide and water vapor, releasing hydrogen cyanide. The insects inhale the poison and die. The stain filled in this way lasts for more than a year. Nobel laureate Linus Pauling told how he was supplied with potassium cyanide for making stains by the caretaker of a dental college. He taught the boy how to handle it dangerous substance. This was in 1912. As we can see, in those years the storage of the “king of poisons” was treated quite frivolously.

Why does potassium cyanide become so popular among real and fictional criminals? The reasons are not difficult to understand: the substance is highly soluble in water, does not have a pronounced taste, the lethal (fatal) dose is small - on average 0.12 g is enough, although individual susceptibility to the poison, of course, varies. A high dose of potassium cyanide causes almost instantaneous loss of consciousness, followed by respiratory paralysis. Add to this the availability of the substance at the beginning of the 19th century, and the choice of Rasputin’s murderous conspirators becomes clear.

Hydrocyanic acid is just as poisonous as cyanides, but is inconvenient to use: it has a specific odor (it is very weak in cyanides) and cannot be used unnoticed by the victim; moreover, due to its high volatility, it is dangerous for everyone around, not just for the one for whom it is intended. But it also found use as a poisonous substance. During the First World War, hydrocyanic acid was used by the French army. In some US states it was used to execute criminals in “gas rooms”. It is also used to treat carriages, barns, and ships infested with insects - the principle is the same as that of young Pauling’s stain.

How does it work?

It’s time to figure out how such a simple substance acts on the body. Back in the 60s of the 19th century, it was established that the venous blood of animals poisoned with cyanide has a scarlet color. This is characteristic, if you remember, of arterial blood rich in oxygen. This means that an organism poisoned by cyanide is unable to absorb oxygen. Hydrocyanic acid and cyanide somehow inhibit the process of tissue oxidation. Oxyhemoglobin (a combination of hemoglobin with oxygen) circulates throughout the body in vain, without giving oxygen to the tissues.

The reason for this phenomenon was discovered by the German biochemist Otto Warburg in the late 20s of the twentieth century. During tissue respiration, oxygen must accept electrons from the substance undergoing oxidation. Enzymes are involved in the process of electron transfer. common name"cytochromes". These are protein molecules containing a non-protein hemin fragment associated with an iron ion. The cytochrome containing the Fe 3+ ion accepts an electron from the substance being oxidized and turns into the Fe 2+ ion. This, in turn, transfers an electron to the next cytochrome molecule, oxidizing to Fe 3+. Thus, the electron is transferred along the chain of cytochromes, like a ball that “a chain of basketball players passes from one player to another, inexorably bringing him closer to the basket (oxygen).” This is how English biochemist Stephen Rose described the work of tissue oxidation enzymes. The last player in the chain, the one who throws the ball into the oxygen basket, is called cytochrome oxidase. In oxidized form it contains the Fe 3+ ion. This form of cytochrome oxidase serves as a target for cyanide ions, which can form covalent bonds with metal cations and prefer Fe 3+.

By binding cytochrome oxidase, cyanide ions remove the molecules of this enzyme from the oxidative chain, and the transfer of electrons to oxygen is disrupted, that is, oxygen is not absorbed by the cell. Was discovered interesting fact: Hibernating hedgehogs can tolerate doses of cyanide many times greater than lethal levels. And the reason is that at low temperatures the absorption of oxygen by the body slows down, like everything else. chemical processes. Therefore, a decrease in the amount of enzyme is easier to tolerate.

Readers of detective stories sometimes get the idea that potassium cyanide is the most poisonous substance on Earth. Not at all! Nicotine and strychnine (substances of plant origin) are tens of times more toxic. The degree of toxicity can be judged by the mass of toxin per 1 kg of laboratory animal weight, which is required to cause death in 50% of cases (LD 50). For potassium cyanide it is 10 mg/kg, and for nicotine - 0.3. Next come: dioxin, a poison of artificial origin - 0.022 mg/kg; tetrodotoxin secreted by puffer fish - 0.01 mg/kg; batrachotoxin secreted by the Colombian tree frog - 0.002 mg/kg; ricin contained in castor bean seeds - 0.0001 mg/kg (a clandestine terrorist laboratory for the production of ricin was uncovered by British intelligence services in 2003); β-bungarotoxin, venom of the South Asian bungaros snake, - 0.000019 mg/kg; tetanus toxin - 0.000001 mg/kg.

The most toxic is botulinum toxin (0.0000003 mg/kg), which is produced by bacteria of a certain type that develop under anaerobic conditions (without air access) in canned food or sausage. Of course, they have to get there first. And from time to time they get there, especially in home-made canned goods. Homemade sausage is now rare, but at one time it was often the source of botulism. Even the name of the disease and its causative agent comes from the Latin botulus- "sausage". During its life, the botulinum bacillus releases not only a toxin, but also gaseous substances. Therefore, swollen cans should not be opened.

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin. It disrupts the functioning of nerve cells that transmit impulses to the muscles. The muscles stop contracting and paralysis occurs. But if you take a toxin in low concentration and target certain muscles, the body as a whole will not be harmed, but the muscle will be relaxed. The drug is called “Botox” (botulinum toxin), it is both a medicine for muscle spasms and a cosmetic product for smoothing wrinkles.

As we see, the most poisonous substances in the world were created by nature. Extracting them is much more difficult than obtaining the simple compound KCN. It is clear that potassium cyanide is both cheaper and more accessible.

However, the use of potassium cyanide for criminal purposes does not always give a guaranteed result. Let's see what Felix Yusupov writes about the events that took place in the basement on the Moika on a cold December night in 1916:

“...I offered him eclairs with potassium cyanide. He refused at first.

“I don’t want it,” he said, “it’s too sweet.”

However, he took one, then another. I looked in horror. The poison should have taken effect immediately, but, to my amazement, Rasputin continued to talk as if nothing had happened. Then I offered him our homemade Crimean wines...

I stood next to him and watched his every move, expecting that he was about to collapse...

But he drank, smacked, savored the wine like real experts. Nothing changed in his face. At times he raised his hand to his throat, as if he had a spasm in his throat. Suddenly he stood up and took a few steps. When I asked what was wrong with him, he replied:

Nothing. Tickling in the throat.

The poison, however, had no effect. The “old man” calmly walked around the room. I took another glass of poison, poured it and gave it to him.

He drank it. No impression. The last, third glass remained on the tray.

In desperation, I poured it for myself, so as not to let Rasputin go away from the wine...”

All in vain. Felix Yusupov went up to his office. “...Dmitry, Sukhotin and Purishkevich, as soon as I entered, rushed towards me with questions:

Well? Ready? Is it over?

The poison didn’t work,” I said. Everyone fell silent in shock.

Can't be! - Dmitry cried.

Elephant dose! Did he swallow everything? - asked the others.

That’s it, I said.”

But still, potassium cyanide had some effect on the old man’s body: “He hung his head, breathed intermittently...

Are you feeling unwell? - I asked.

Yes, my head is heavy and my stomach burns. Come on, pour a little. Maybe he’ll feel better.”

Indeed, if the dose of cyanide is not so large as to cause instant death, at the initial stage of poisoning there is a scratching in the throat, a bitter taste in the mouth, numbness of the mouth and pharynx, redness of the eyes, muscle weakness, dizziness, staggering, headache, palpitations, nausea, vomit. Breathing is somewhat rapid, then becomes deeper. Yusupov noticed some of these symptoms in Rasputin. If at this stage of poisoning the flow of poison into the body stops, the symptoms disappear. Obviously, the poison was not enough for Rasputin. It is worth understanding the reasons, because the organizers of the crime calculated the “elephant” dose. By the way, about elephants. Valentin Kataev in his book “ Broken life, or Oberon's Magic Horn" describes the case of an elephant and potassium cyanide.

In pre-revolutionary times, in the Odessa circus-tent of Lorberbaum, the elephant Yambo fell into a rage. The behavior of the enraged elephant became dangerous, and they decided to poison it. What do you think? “They decided to poison him with potassium cyanide, put in cakes, which Yambo was a big fan of,” writes Kataev. And further: “I didn’t see this, but I vividly imagined how a cab driver drives up to Lorberbaum’s booth and how attendants bring cakes into the booth, and there is a special medical commission there... with the greatest precautions, wearing black gutta-percha gloves, they stuff the cakes with tweezers crystals of potassium cyanide..." Isn't it very reminiscent of the manipulations of Dr. Lazovert? It should only be added that a high school boy paints an imaginary picture for himself. It is no coincidence that this boy later became a famous writer!

But let's return to Yambo:

“Oh, how vividly my imagination painted this picture... I moaned half asleep... Nausea rose to my heart. I felt poisoned by potassium cyanide... I felt like I was dying... I got out of bed and the first thing I did was grab the Odessa Leaflet, confident that I would read about the death of an elephant. Nothing like this!

The elephant that ate cakes filled with potassium cyanide turns out to be still very much alive and, apparently, is not going to die. The poison had no effect on him. The elephant only became even more violent.”

ABOUT further events what happened with the elephant and with Rasputin can be read in books. And we are interested in the reasons for the “inexplicable nonsense,” as Odessa Leaflet wrote about the case of the elephant. There are two such reasons.

First, HCN is a very weak acid. Such an acid can be displaced from its salt by a stronger acid and evaporate. Even carbonic acid is stronger than hydrocyanic acid. Carbonic acid is formed when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water. That is, under the influence of moist air containing both water and carbon dioxide, potassium cyanide gradually turns into carbonate:

KCN + H 2 O + CO 2 = HCN + KHCO 3

If the potassium cyanide used in the cases described was kept in contact with moist air for a long time, it might not work.

Secondly, the salt of weak hydrocyanic acid is subject to hydrolysis:

KCN + H 2 O = HCN + KOH.

The released hydrogen cyanide is able to attach to a molecule of glucose and other sugars containing a carbonyl group:

CH 2 OH-CHON-CHON-CHON-CHON-CH=O + HC≡N →
CH 2 OH-CHON-CHON-CHON-CHON-CHON-C≡N

Substances formed as a result of the addition of hydrogen cyanide to the carbonyl group are called cyanohydrins. Glucose is a product of the hydrolysis of sucrose. People who work with cyanide know that to prevent poisoning they should hold a piece of sugar against their cheek. Glucose binds cyanide in the blood. That part of the poison that has already penetrated into the cell nucleus, where tissue oxidation occurs in the mitochondria, is inaccessible to sugars. If an animal has high blood glucose levels, it is more resistant to cyanide poisoning, such as birds. The same is observed in patients with diabetes. When small portions of cyanide enter the body, the body can neutralize it on its own with the help of glucose contained in the blood. And in case of poisoning, 5% or 40% glucose solutions administered intravenously are used as an antidote. But this remedy works slowly.

For both Rasputin and the elephant Yambo, cakes containing sugar were stuffed with potassium cyanide. They were not eaten immediately, but in the meantime, potassium cyanide released hydrocyanic acid, and it joined the glucose. Some of the cyanide had definitely managed to be neutralized. Let us add that cyanide poisoning occurs more slowly on a full stomach.

There are other antidotes to cyanide. Firstly, these are compounds that easily split off sulfur. The body contains such substances as the amino acids cysteine ​​and glutathione. They, like glucose, help the body cope with small doses of cyanide. If the dose is large, a 30% solution of sodium thiosulfate Na 2 S 2 O 3 (or Na 2 SO 3 S) can be specially injected into the blood or muscle. It reacts in the presence of oxygen and the enzyme rhodanase with hydrocyanic acid and cyanides according to the following scheme:

2HCN + 2Na2S2O3 + O2 = 2НNCS + 2Na2SO4

In this case, thiocyanates (rhodanides) are formed, which are much less harmful to the body than cyanides. If cyanides and hydrocyanic acid belong to the first class of danger, then thiocyanates are substances of the second class. They negatively affect the liver, kidneys, cause gastritis, and also suppress the thyroid gland. People systematically exposed to small doses of cyanide develop thyroid diseases caused by the constant formation of thiocyanates from cyanide. Thiosulfate reacts with cyanides more actively than glucose, but also acts slowly. It is usually used in combination with other anticyanides.

The second type of antidotes against cyanide are the so-called methemoglobin formers. The name suggests that these substances form methemoglobin from hemoglobin (see “Chemistry and Life”, 2010, No. 10). The hemoglobin molecule contains four Fe 2+ ions, and in methemoglobin they are oxidized to Fe 3+. Therefore, it is not able to reversibly bind Fe 3+ oxygen and does not transport it throughout the body. This can occur under the influence of oxidizing substances (including nitrogen oxides, nitrates and nitrites, nitroglycerin and many others). It is clear that these are poisons that “disable” hemoglobin and cause hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). Hemoglobin “spoiled” by these poisons does not carry oxygen, but is capable of binding cyanide ions, which experience an irresistible attraction to the Fe 3+ ion. Cyanide that enters the blood is bound by methemoglobin and does not have time to enter the mitochondria of cell nuclei, where it will inevitably “spoil” all cytochrome oxidase. And this is much worse than “spoiled” hemoglobin.

American writer, biochemist and popularizer of science Isaac Asimov explains it this way: “The fact is that the body has a very large amount of hemoglobin... Hemin enzymes are present in very small quantities. Just a few drops of cyanide are enough to destroy most these enzymes. If this happens, the conveyor belt that oxidizes the body's flammable substances stops. Within a few minutes, the cells of the body die from lack of oxygen as inevitably as if someone grabbed a person by the throat and simply strangled him.”

In this case, we observe an instructive picture: some poisons that cause hemic (blood) hypoxia inhibit the action of other poisons that also cause hypoxia, but of a different type. Direct illustration of Russian idiomatic expression: “knock out a wedge with a wedge.” The main thing is not to overdo it with the methemoglobin-forming agent, so as not to exchange the awl for soap. The content of methemoglobin in the blood should not exceed 25–30% of the total hemoglobin mass. Unlike glucose or thiosulfate, methemoglobin not only binds cyanide ions circulating in the blood, but also helps the respiratory enzyme “spoiled” by cyanide to free itself from cyanide ions. This occurs due to the fact that the process of combining cyanide ions with cytochrome oxidase is reversible. Under the influence of methemoglobin, the concentration of these ions in the blood plasma decreases - and as a result, new cyanide ions are split off from the complex compound with cytochrome oxidase.

The reaction of cyanmethemoglobin formation is also reversible, so over time, cyanide ions return to the blood. To bind them, a thiosulfate solution is injected into the blood simultaneously with an antidote (usually nitrite). The most effective is a mixture of sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate. It can help even in the last stages of cyanide poisoning - convulsive and paralytic.

Where can I meet him?

Does it have a chance a common person, not the hero of a detective novel, poisoned with potassium cyanide or hydrocyanic acid? Like any substances of the first class of danger, cyanides are stored with special precautions and are inaccessible to the average attacker, unless he is an employee of a specialized laboratory or workshop. Yes, and there such substances are strictly registered. However, cyanide poisoning can occur without the involvement of a villain.

First, cyanide occurs naturally. Cyanide ions are part of vitamin B 12 (cyanocobolamine). Even in blood plasma healthy person per 1 liter there are 140 mcg of cyanide ions. In blood smoking people the cyanide content is more than twice as high. But the body tolerates such concentrations painlessly. It’s another matter if cyanide contained in some plants comes in with food. Serious poisoning is possible here. Among the sources of hydrocyanic acid available to everyone are the seeds of apricots, peaches, cherries, and bitter almonds. They contain the glycoside amygdalin.

Amygdalin belongs to the group of cyanogenic glycosides that form hydrocyanic acid upon hydrolysis. This glycoside was isolated from the seeds of bitter almonds, which is why it got its name (Greek μ - “almond”). The amygdalin molecule, as befits a glycoside, consists of a sugar part, or glycone (in in this case it is a residue of the gencibiose disaccharide) and a non-sugar moiety, or aglycone. In the gencibiose residue, in turn, two β-glucose residues are linked by a glycosidic bond. The role of the aglycone is the cyanohydrin of benzaldehyde - mandelonitrile, or rather its residue connected to the glycone by a glycosidic bond.

During hydrolysis, the amygdalin molecule breaks down into two glucose molecules, a benzaldehyde molecule and a hydrocyanic acid molecule. This occurs in an acidic environment or under the action of the emulsin enzyme contained in the stone. Due to the formation of hydrocyanic acid, one gram of amygdalin is a lethal dose. This corresponds to 100 g of apricot kernels. There are known cases of poisoning of children who ate 10–12 apricot kernels.

The content of amygdalin in bitter almonds is three to five times higher, but you hardly want to eat its seeds. As a last resort, they should be heated. This will destroy the emulsin enzyme, without which hydrolysis will not proceed. It is thanks to amygdalin that bitter almond seeds have their bitter taste and almond smell. More precisely, it is not amygdalin itself that has an almond smell, but the products of its hydrolysis - benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid (we have already discussed the smell of hydrocyanic acid, but the smell of benzaldehyde is, without a doubt, almond).

Secondly, cyanide poisoning can occur in industries where cyanide is used to create plating or to extract precious metals from ores. Gold and platinum ions form strong complex compounds with cyanide ions. Noble metals are not able to be oxidized by oxygen because their oxides are fragile. But if oxygen acts on these metals in a solution of sodium or potassium cyanide, then the metal ions formed during oxidation are bound by cyanide ions into a strong complex ion and the metal is completely oxidized. Sodium cyanide itself does not oxidize noble metals, but helps the oxidizer to fulfill its mission:

4Au + 8NaCN + 2H 2 O = 4Na + 4NaOH.

Workers engaged in such industries experience chronic exposure to cyanide. Cyanides are poisonous both if they enter the stomach, and if they inhale dust and splashes when servicing galvanic baths, and even if they come into contact with the skin, especially if there are wounds on it. No wonder Doctor Lazovert wore rubber gloves. There was a case of fatal poisoning from a hot mixture containing 80% which got on the worker’s skin.

Even people not employed in mining or plating production can be harmed by cyanide. There are known cases where wastewater from such industries ended up in rivers. In 2000, 2001 and 2004, Europe was alarmed by the release of cyanide into the Danube in Romania and Hungary. This led to dire consequences for river inhabitants and residents of coastal villages. There have been cases of poisoning from fish caught in the Danube. Therefore, it is useful to know the precautions when handling cyanide. And it will be more interesting to read about potassium cyanide in detective stories.

Bibliography:

Azimov A. Chemical agents of life. M.: Foreign Literature Publishing House, 1958.
Harmful chemicals. Directory. L.: Chemistry, 1988.
Kataev V. Broken Life, or Oberon's Magic Horn. M.: Soviet writer, 1983.
Oxengendler G.I. Poisons and antidotes. L.: Nauka, 1982.
Rose S. Chemistry of life. M.: Mir, 1969.
Encyclopedia for children "Avanta+". T.17. Chemistry. M.: Avanta+, 2001.
Yusupov F. Memoirs. M.: Zakharov, 2004.

Potassium cyanide (potassium cyanide, calcium cyanide) is a salt of hydrocyanic acid. It is a colorless crystalline powder, very similar in appearance to sugar. Potassium cyanide has good solubility and is one of the strongest organic poisons. 1.7 mlg. per 1 kg of weight is a lethal dose for humans. Information about the appearance of such a substance was received from the Swedish pharmacist - Karl Scheele back in 1762.

Receipt

You can receive it in several ways.
1. During the chemical reaction of hydrocyanic acid with potassium powder.
2. In the laboratory method, a chemical reaction of ammonia, chloroform and caustic potash occurs.

Application

Potassium cyanide is used in the separation of silver or gold from ore. All this happens using the cyanidation method. Also, potassium cyanide has found application in galvanizing products using the galvanic method.

The product easily decomposes in open air; immediate decomposition occurs when potassium cyanide reacts with carbon dioxide and water. In the process of such instant decomposition, hydrocyanic acid and potassium nitrate (which is sometimes used in the food industry) are formed.

IN aqueous solution gradually hydrolyzes with the release of HCN (hydrolysis constant 2.54.10-5 at 25 °C); When boiling water solutions, it decomposes into NH3 and HCOOC. According to chemistry Holy KCN is a typical representative of alkali metal cyanides. Above 634 °C it is oxidized by oxygen or PbO to KNCO. In humid air interaction. with CO2, giving K2CO3 and HCN. Forms complexes with transition metals, e.g. K4.

Get KCN interaction. HCN with excess KOH. KCN is a reagent for the extraction of Ag and Au from ores, a complexometric reagent. analysis for the determination of Ag, Ni and Hg, a component of electrolytes for the purification of Pt from Ag and for galvanic. gilding and silvering. It is also used to produce nitriles, potassium cyanate KNCO. Highly toxic, causes suffocation due to paralysis of tissue respiration. KCN powders and solutions irritate the skin. MPC 0.0003 mg/l (in terms of HCN).

For questions regarding purchasing potassium cyanide and receiving detailed advice on product properties, delivery conditions and concluding a contract, please contact our managers.

Fans of detective stories have heard a lot about such a poison as potassium cyanide. The smell of almonds complicated story, Murder is a classic set of famous bestsellers. However, books are not always a true reflection of reality. In fact, human poisoning with potassium cyanide is now rare and occurs most often at work.

Potassium cyanide is the most famous salt of hydrocyanic acid

About poison

Hydrocyanic acid

What is potassium cyanide? There is a group of cyanides that are derivatives of hydrocyanic acid. This acid is a colorless liquid that has a strong almond odor. The seeds of some plants (peaches, cherries, apricots, plums) contain a substance called glucoside. At the time of decomposition, the glucoside releases hydrocyanic acid. Therefore, if you eat too many of these berries or fruits, you can get poisoned.

Potassium cyanide is the most famous salt of hydrocyanic acid. Like other cyanides, it is poisonous.

About the characteristics of potassium cyanide

The lethal dose of potassium cyanide for humans is 1.7 mg/kg. But this does not mean that if this dose is taken, a person will definitely die. Sometimes people survived even after significant doses due to the characteristics of the body. This poison has interesting properties. If a person who has drunk poison has a stomach filled with food that contains a lot of sulfur (meat, eggs, etc.) or carbohydrates (cakes, pastries), then the poison is absorbed slowly.

That’s why Grigory Rasputin did not die immediately as soon as the poison was added to him. His stomach was filled with cakes, which prevented the poison from being absorbed. What does he look like? It is a white crystalline powder similar to granulated sugar. Its peculiarity is the strong smell of almonds.

In the seeds of some plants (almond, apricot, peach, cherry, plum, bird cherry, cherry laurel) there is a substance called glucoside

Uses of potassium cyanide

This poison is isolated from some plants or produced synthetically. The scope of its use is varied, so the small risk of poisoning is not paid attention to. The use of poison is possible both in industry and in agriculture.

• Application in the production of plastics and other products.
• The poison is contained in the reagents needed to develop photos.
• Cyanide salts are used when working with minerals.
• Poison in the form of gases is necessary for treating grain storage facilities and getting rid of rodents.
• There was also a not entirely humane use of this poison during the war. The Nazis produced Cyclone gas - B.

Poisoning by poison

How does poison act on the human body, what symptoms appear in the patient? If hydrocyanic acid compounds enter it, the enzyme cytochrome oxidase is blocked. This leads to the body not absorbing oxygen, which causes the person to die from asphyxia.

How long does the poison last?

How quickly does the poison act, and does a person die after poisoning? Does this poison have an antidote? The properties and effect of poison on the human body depend on its concentration:

• 0.1 mg/l – death within an hour;
• 0.12 – 0.15 mg/l – death within half an hour;
• 0.2 mg/l – death in 10 minutes.

Symptoms of poisoning become apparent within a couple of seconds if the cyanide enters through the lungs: the victim inhales the fumes. If it enters through the stomach, symptoms appear within a few minutes. When high doses of potassium cyanide enter the human body, the effect of the poison is immediate: the person immediately loses consciousness, his respiratory system is paralyzed, and his heart refuses to work. The poison also penetrates the skin. Then death occurs within 40 to 90 minutes.

At the first stage of poisoning, there is a feeling that the chest is being squeezed

Symptoms of poisoning

If a relatively small dose of potassium cyanide enters the human body, death does not occur immediately; the victim can still be saved. Symptoms of poisoning are as follows. The action of the poison is divided into four stages.

• The first stage, symptoms: sore throat, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, a metallic taste, the mouth goes numb, saliva flows, nausea, even vomiting, dizziness, a feeling that the chest is being squeezed, the person’s breathing is rapid. If the victim goes outside, he will feel better.
• The second stage, symptoms: the person is lethargic, the chest is compressed more and more, shortness of breath, the eyes protrude, the pupils dilate, the person experiences a feeling of fear.
• Third stage, symptoms: convulsions, a person bites his tongue, involuntary bowel and bladder emptying, fainting.
• Fourth stage, symptoms: all reflexes and sensitivity are lost, breathing is rare, becomes erratic, then stops.

Symptoms of chronic poisoning

Poisoning does not always develop quickly. If a person works with cyanide compounds, he may have chronic poisoning. What symptoms indicate exposure to poison?

• the head often hurts and feels dizzy;
• insomnia;
• memory deteriorates;
• my heart hurts;
• a person is losing weight;
• frequent urination;
• sweat is produced intensely.

These are not all the symptoms, there are many of them: neurasthenic symptoms, thyroid disease, peeling skin, itching, etc.

Sign of poisoning: slight odor of almonds

How to help the victim

First aid

If you detect and help a person in time and administer an antidote, he can be saved. How to understand that the victim took potassium cyanide? There is a slight smell of almonds on his breath. For an experienced physician, the symptoms of poisoning will also suggest poison. At the hospital, they will take a blood test and determine the amount of cyanide in the blood, so the smell is not the only way suspect poisoning. What to do? You need to call an ambulance and report your suspicions.

• Take the person outside.
• Remove the patient's clothing if it is saturated with poison. It is better to cut and remove so that the poisoning does not worsen. Wipe the victim's body with soap and water.
• If the poison enters the human body through food or drink, the stomach must be rinsed: give plenty of fluids and induce vomiting.

If he has stopped breathing, you can only do chest compressions. Artificial respiration is undesirable, otherwise the person providing assistance will also be poisoned.

There is an antidote for potassium cyanide

Treatment

If a person is poisoned, the properties of the poison are such that urgent health care . The doctor will immediately try to alleviate the patient’s condition, make it easier for him to breathe, using a tube in the larynx, etc. But the main help is the antidote. The antidote must be injected into a vein, or can be taken orally. There is an antidote for potassium cyanide, and more than one. They are divided into three groups.

• The first antidote is sugar: the doctor injects glucose into a vein. It converts cyanide into harmless compounds.
• The second known antidote is sodium thiosulfate. As soon as it enters the body, the poison is converted into thiocyanates, which are safe for humans.
• The third antidote is drugs (nitroglycerin, amyl nitrite, methylene blue) that interact with the poison and form cyanmethemoglobin.

If the victim managed to administer the antidote immediately after the poison entered the body (the first minutes), he was saved. After an hour, the treatment is repeated. After severe poisoning, the victim will not immediately return to normal. Within 2-3 weeks he will experience changes in the neuropsychic sphere, and for a whole month his blood pressure will fluctuate, tachycardia and heart pain are possible.

Prevention of poisoning

You cannot buy potassium cyanide at a pharmacy, even with a prescription. It is produced only in special laboratories. Therefore, poisoning occurs at work. The only prevention is compliance with safety measures. The enterprise must ensure that employees know the safety measures and comply with them.

If the concentration of hydrocyanic acid exceeds the norm, an alarm is triggered. Another important point– This is the preparation of employees for non-standard situations. They must respond quickly in case of poisoning and provide the victim with the necessary medical care.

Of all the poisons, potassium cyanide has the most notorious reputation. In detective stories, the use of this cyanide by criminals is a very popular way to get rid of unwanted persons. Obviously, the wide popularity of the poison is also associated with its availability at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the powder could easily be bought at a pharmacy.

Meanwhile, potassium cyanide is not the most dangerous and toxic substance - in terms of lethal dose it is inferior to such prosaic poisons as nicotine or botulinum toxin. So what is potassium cyanide, where is it used and how does it affect the human body? Does his fame live up to real situation of things?

What is potassium cyanide

The poison belongs to the group of cyanide derivatives. The formula of potassium cyanide is KCN. The substance was first obtained by the German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in 1845, and he also developed an industrial method for its synthesis.

In appearance, potassium cyanide is a colorless crystalline powder, highly soluble in water. The reference books describe that potassium cyanide has a specific smell of bitter almonds. But this characteristic is not always correct - approximately 50% of people are able to smell this smell. It is believed that this is due to individual differences in the olfactory apparatus. Potassium cyanide is not a very stable compound. Since hydrocyanic acid is weak, the cyano group is easily displaced from the compound by salts of stronger acids. As a result, the cyano group evaporates, and the substance loses its toxic properties. Cyanides also oxidize when exposed to moist air or in solutions with glucose. The latter property allows the use of glucose as one of the antidotes for and its derivatives.

Why does a person need potassium cyanide? It is used in the mining and processing industry and in galvanic production. Since noble metals are not able to be oxidized directly by oxygen, solutions of potassium or sodium cyanide are used to catalyze the process. Chronic potassium cyanide poisoning can occur among people not involved in production. Thus, in the early 2000s, there were cases of toxic emissions from mining and processing enterprises in Romania and Hungary into the Danube River, as a result of which people living in the vicinity of the floodplain suffered. Workers of special laboratories who come into contact with poison as a reagent are at risk of getting a chronic disease.

In household conditions, cyanide can be found in reagents for darkrooms and in jewelry cleaning products. Small amounts of potassium cyanide are used by entomologists in insect stains. There are also artistic paints (gouache, watercolor), which contain cyanides - “Prussian blue”, “Prussian blue”, “milori”. There they are combined with iron and give the dye a rich azure color.

What contains potassium cyanide in nature? You won’t find it in its pure form, but a compound with a cyano group, amygdalin, is found in the seeds of apricots, plums, cherries, almonds, and peaches; elderberry leaves and shoots. When amygdalin is broken down, hydrocyanic acid is formed, which acts similarly to potassium cyanide. Fatal poisoning can be obtained from 1 g of amygdalin, which corresponds to approximately 100 g of apricot kernels.

Effect of potassium cyanide on humans

How does potassium cyanide affect the human body? The poison blocks the cellular enzyme - cytochrome oxidase, which is responsible for the absorption of oxygen by the cell. As a result, oxygen remains in the blood and circulates there bound to hemoglobin. Therefore, in case of cyanide poisoning, even venous blood has a bright scarlet color. Without access to oxygen metabolic processes inside the cells stop and the organism quickly dies. The effect is equivalent to that of a poisoned person simply suffocating due to lack of air.

Potassium cyanide is poisonous if ingested, or if the powder and solution vapors are inhaled; can also penetrate the skin, especially if it is damaged. The lethal dose of potassium cyanide for humans is 1.7 mg/kg body weight. The drug belongs to the group of potent toxic substances, its use is controlled with all possible rigor.

The effect of cyanide is weakened in combination with glucose. Laboratory workers who are forced to come into contact with this poison while working hold a piece of sugar under their cheek. This allows you to neutralize microscopic doses of toxin that accidentally enter the blood. Also, the poison is absorbed more slowly on a full stomach, which allows the body to reduce its harmful effects through oxidation by glucose and some other blood compounds. A small amount of cyanide ions, about 140 mcg per liter of plasma, circulates in the blood as a natural metabolic metabolite. For example, they are part of vitamin B12 - cyanocobalamin. And the blood of smokers contains twice as much of them.

Symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning

What are the symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning? The effect of the poison manifests itself very quickly - when inhaled almost instantly, when ingested - after a few minutes. Cyanide is absorbed slowly through the skin and mucous membranes. Signs of potassium cyanide poisoning depend on the dose received and individual sensitivity to the poison.

In acute poisoning, disorders develop in four stages.

Prodromal stage:

• sore throat, scratching sensation;
• bitterness in the mouth, the notorious taste of “bitter almonds” is possible;
• numbness of the oral mucosa, pharynx;
• salivation;
• nausea and vomiting;
• dizziness;
• feeling of tightness in the chest.

The second stage is dyspnoetic, during which the signs of oxygen starvation increase:

• pressure in the chest increases;
• the pulse slows down and weakens;
• general weakness increases;
• dyspnea;
• the pupils are dilated, the conjunctiva of the eyes turns red, the eyeballs protrude;
• a feeling of fear arises, turning into a stunned state.

When a lethal dose is received, the third stage begins - convulsive:

The fourth stage is paralytic, leading to death from potassium cyanide:

• the victim is unconscious;
• breathing slows down greatly;
• the mucous membranes turn red, a blush appears;
• Sensitivity and reflexes are lost.

Death occurs within 20–40 minutes (if the poison gets inside) from respiratory and cardiac arrest. If the victims do not die within four hours, then, as a rule, they survive. Possible consequences - residual impairment of brain activity due to oxygen starvation.

In chronic cyanide poisoning, the symptoms are largely due to intoxication with thiocyanates (rodanides) - substances of the second class of danger into which cyanides are converted in the body under the influence of sulfide groups. Thiocyanates cause pathology of the thyroid gland, have a harmful effect on the liver, kidneys and provoke the development of gastritis.

First aid for poisoning

The victim needs the prompt administration of potassium cyanide antidotes, of which there are several. Before introducing a specific antidote, it is necessary to alleviate the patient’s condition - remove the poison from the stomach by lavage:

Then give a sweet warm drink.

If the victim is unconscious, then only medical worker. In case of respiratory arrest, artificial ventilation is performed.

If there is a possibility of potassium cyanide getting on clothing, it is necessary to remove it and wash the patient’s skin with water.

Treatment

Measures are taken to maintain vital functions - a breathing tube and an intravenous catheter are inserted. Potassium cyanide is a poison for which there are several antidotes. They are all used because they have different mechanisms of action. The antidote is effective even in the last stages of poisoning.

In this case, they focus on ensuring that the level of methemoglobin in the blood does not exceed 25–30%.

1. Solutions of substances that easily release sulfur neutralize cyanide in the blood. A 25% sodium thiosulfate solution is used.
2. Glucose solution 5 or 40%.

To stimulate the respiratory center, the drugs “Lobelin” or “Cititon” are administered.

To summarize, we can say the following. The toxic effect of potassium cyanide on humans is to block the mechanism of cellular respiration, resulting in death from suffocation and paralysis very quickly. Antidotes - amyl nitrite, sodium thiosulfate, glucose - can help. They are administered intravenously or inhaled. To prevent chronic poisoning in production, it is necessary to follow general safety measures: avoid direct contact with poison, use protective equipment, and regularly conduct medical examinations.