Determination of Total Cyanide

It has been determined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that the maximum pollution level (MCL) in drinking and surface water should be 200 µg/L.

Cyanide,
- prevents cellular respiration by irreversibly binding to iron in cytochrome C oxidase.
- It is a well-known acute toxin.
- Thiocyanate, metabolized from cyanide, prevents the iodine uptake of the thyroid gland, causing goiter and other long-term iodine deficiency diseases.

Determination of the total amount of cyanide in samples. For cyanide, hydrogen is broken down with sulfuric acid to convert it to cyanide gas, aspirated into a strong caustic solution, and then tested.

Industrial waste from plating and mining industries, burning coal and plastics, and public treatment plants are sources of cyanide pollution. .

Consult Nanolab Environmental/Water Analysis Laboratory for Total Cyanide Determination.