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What is cyanide?
Cyanide is a fast-acting, potentially lethal chemical that can exist in various forms. Cyanide gas is sometimes described as having a "bitter almond" smell, but it does not always give off an odor, and not everyone can detect it.

Where is it found, and how is it used?
Cyanide is naturally present in some foods and in certain plants such as cassava. It's contained in cigarette smoke and the combustion products of synthetic materials such as plastics.

In manufacturing, cyanide is used to make paper, textiles, and plastics, and it is present in the chemicals used to develop photographs. In its gaseous form, cyanide is used to exterminate pests and vermin in ships and buildings.

Reports have indicated that during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, hydrogen cyanide gas may have been used along with other chemical agents against the inhabitants of the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq.

How can people be exposed?
Cyanide enters water, soil, or air as a result of both natural processes and industrial activities. People may be exposed to cyanide by breathing air, drinking water, eating food, or touching soil that contains cyanide.

Cigarette smoke is probably one of the major sources of cyanide exposure for people who do not work in cyanide-related industries.

How does it work?
Poisoning caused by cyanide depends on the amount of cyanide a person is exposed to, the route of exposure, and the length of time a person is exposed. Breathing cyanide gas causes the most harm, but ingesting cyanide can be toxic as well.

Cyanide gas is most dangerous in enclosed places where the gas will be trapped. Because it is less dense than air, it rises, disperses, and evaporates quickly in open spaces, making it less harmful outdoors.

Cyanide prevents the cells of the body from getting oxygen. When this happens, the cells die. It is more harmful to the heart and brain than other organs because the heart and brain require a lot of oxygen.

What are the signs of exposure?
People exposed to a small amount of cyanide by breathing it, absorbing it through their skin, or eating foods that contain it may have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes:
• Rapid breathing
• Restlessness
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid heart rate

Exposure to a large amount of cyanide by any route may cause these other health effects as well:
• Convulsions
• Low blood pressure
• Slow heart rate
• Loss of consciousness
• Lung injury
• Respiratory failure leading to death

What are the long-term health effects?
Survivors of serious cyanide poisoning may develop delayed neurological effects, most commonly symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease.

How people can protect themselves, and what they should do if they are exposed to cyanide?
First, get fresh air by leaving the area where the cyanide was released. Moving to an area with fresh air is a good way to reduce the possibility of death from exposure to cyanide gas.

If the cyanide release was outside, move away from the area where the cyanide was released. If the cyanide release was indoors, get out of the building. If leaving the area that was exposed to cyanide is not an option, stay as low to the ground as possible.

Remove any clothing that has liquid cyanide on it. If possible, seal the clothing in a plastic bag, and then seal that bag inside a second plastic bag. Rinse the eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes if they are burning or vision is blurred. Wash any liquid cyanide from the skin thoroughly with soap and water.

If cyanide is known to be ingested (swallowed), do not induce vomiting or give fluids to drink. Seek medical attention right away. Stay calm. Dial 911, explain what has happened, and wait for emergency personnel to arrive.

How is cyanide poisoning treated?
Cyanide poisoning is treated with antidotes and supportive medical care. The most important thing is for victims to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
 

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention