In 1945, Agatha Christie's novel, The Brilliant Cyanide, was published. The detective turned out 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, these are poisons. Their toxicity is easily explained by the negative effects of some of their constituents on cellular respiration. In turn, the work of the whole organism is disrupted. Cells just stop functioning. After this, important body systems cease to fulfill their functions, and a pathological serious condition occurs, which most often ends in death.
So what is cyanide? First of all, these are derivatives of hydrocyanic acid. The potassium cyanide formula is quite simple: KCN. This substance was first obtained by the German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. In addition, the scientist also developed industrial methods for its synthesis. It happened in 1845.
Some properties of a substance
Potassium cyanide is a white powder with a crystalline structure. The substance is highly soluble in water. The poison has a peculiar smell, but about 50% of the population of our planet can feel it. It is worth noting that potassium cyanide is an unstable substance. It is oxidized in solutions containing glucose and at a sufficient level of humidity.
Sodium cyanide is also common. The formula for this substance is: NaCN. Sodium cyanide is a white plasticine, powder, paste or hygroscopic crystals. The substance is also unstable. It quickly dissolves in menthol and in water. Sodium cyanide per se is not combustible. However, in contact with moist air, the substance emits a gas that is highly flammable. During combustion, sodium cyanide releases toxic and irritating fumes. They can cause serious poisoning. Volatiles also form hydrolysis of cyanides.
Cyanide in plants
What is cyanide, sorted out. But how is it received and for what? Cyanides are not only produced synthetically. These substances are found in nature. This increases the risk of intentional or accidental poisoning. Poison can be obtained from certain foods and plants. For this reason, all sources of cyanide should be known.
The list of hazardous foods includes lima beans, almonds and cassava. In addition, cyanide is found in the seeds of pears, plums, apricots, cherries, peaches and even apples. Poisoning occurs only in those cases when an excessive amount of dangerous products enter the body. At risk are those people who have individual intolerance.
Cyanide use
Cyanide solutions are used in many industries. These substances are commonly used for the manufacture of paper, plastics, and certain types of textiles. As a rule, poison is present in many reagents that are used to develop photographs. In metallurgy, the substance we are considering is used to clean galvanic and metals, as well as to separate gold from ores.
In addition, cyanide is used in the form of gas in combination with other substances to disinfect grain storage facilities. Such compounds can destroy rodents.
Effect on the body
When cyanide enters a living organism, a special enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, is blocked. As a result, the tissues do not receive the required amount of oxygen. This leads to the development of asphyxiation.
First of all, tissue hypoxia affects the brain. As a result, CNS paralysis develops. All this leads to a quick death. As for the symptoms of poisoning, they occur almost instantly.
The severity of the patient's condition depends primarily on how the poison got into the body. When inhaled vapors and gases, poisoning occurs instantly. Very rarely, cyanide penetrates the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, symptoms of poisoning may occur gradually.
When signs of poisoning appear
As already mentioned, the signs of poisoning and the degree of their manifestation depend on how the poison 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 0.12-0.15 mg / l entered the body, then a person dies in half an hour.
If the concentration of the toxic substance is increased to 0.2 mg, then a fatal 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 toxic substance does not exceed 0.55 mg / l and the poison is exposed for no more than one minute.
If cyanide enters the body along with gas, then symptoms are observed after a couple of seconds. If the poisonous substance gets through the stomach, the clinical picture develops after a few minutes.
The main symptoms of poisoning
Cyanide is a poison that begins to act as soon as it enters the human body. At high dosages of the poisonous substance, the symptoms of poisoning appear instantly. Here are the main signs:
- First of all, the victim loses consciousness.
- Instantly, respiratory system paralysis sets in. In addition, the work of the heart muscles is blocked.
- Fatal outcome.
With small dosages, symptoms occur gradually:
- The initial stage of cyanide poisoning is characterized by dizziness, an acute and rapidly increasing headache, rapid heartbeat and breathing, a feeling of heaviness in the frontal lobes, a rush of blood to the head.
- The second stage is shortness of breath. At the same time, breathing becomes noisy, deep and rare. The patient’s pulse slows down, nausea, vomiting occurs, and the pupils dilate.
- In the next stage, a person loses consciousness. Often, tetanic spasms cause spasms of the chewing muscles, which can result in biting the tongue.
- The next stage is paralysis. The victim loses not only reflexes, but also sensitivity. Breathing is very rare. In addition, involuntary bowel movements 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, this substance was not always used for peaceful purposes. During the Second World War, hydrogen cyanide was part of such a poisonous gas as Cyclone-B. 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.