Toxicology:Study of adverse effects of chemicals on the human body

PATHOLOGY:Study of structural and functional changes in cells, tissues and organs after toxic exposure

PHARMACODYNAMICS:Study of biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and toxins (study of what the toxin does to the body).

The possible detoxification reactions for cyanide are shown for this hypothetical cell.

PHARMACOKINETCS:Study of the time-course of toxins (study of what the body does to the toxin).

Cyanide is found in foodstuffs such as cabbage, spinach, and almonds, and as amygdalin in apple pips, peach, plum, cherry, and almond kernels. In the kernels themselves, amygdalin seems to be completely harmless as long as it is relatively dry. However, the seeds contain an enzyme that is capable of catalysing the following hydrolytic reaction when the seeds are crushed and moistened:

C20H27NO11 + 2H2O --> 2C6H12O6 + C6H5CHO + HCN amygdalin glucose benzaldehyde cyanide

The reaction is slow in acid but rapid in alkaline solution. Natural oil of bitter almonds contains 4% HCN. American white lima beans contain 10 mg cyanide/100 g bean. The dried root of cassava (tapioca) may contain 245 mg cyanide/100 g root. The cyanide content in 100 g of cultivated apricot seeds has been found to be about 9 mg and that in wild apricot seeds more than 200 mg.

Forensics :Natural Origins

Fires and automobile pollution-control devices with malfunctioning catalytic converters (Voorhoeve et al., 1975)

generate cyanide. Natural substances, such as wool, silk, horse hair, and tobacco, as well as modern synthetic materials, such as

polyurethane and polyacrylonitriles, release cyanide during combustion :

Hydrogen cyanide generated by pyrolysis

µg HCN per Material g material

paper 1100 cotton 130 wool 6300 nylon 780

polyurethane foam 1200

Forensics :Non-Industrial sources

Forensics :Delivery

-CN + Br OH NC Br

NC Br + N NNC

NNC2H2O

NC NH2+ O

OH

O

O

+

NH2

NH2

N

N

CH 2

CH

CH

Forensics :Detection I - KONIG REACTION

Forensics :Detection II

Treatment