Cyanide Compounds
While conducting our annual laboratory safety inspections, we are finding labs that have or use cyanide compounds. Cyanide compounds and those that release cyanide gases and are contained on a list of more than 500 chemicals that are inventoried annually by the laboratory safety technician team. These cyanide compounds are also listed as chemicals of interest in the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards (CFATS). The table below contains a list of the cyanide compounds and their chemical abstract services (CAS) registry numbers:
| Compound | CAS # |
| Cyanogen Bromide (can react with moisture to form HCN) | 506-68-3 |
| Calcium Cyanide | 592-01-8 |
| Copper (I) Cyanide | 544-92-3 |
| Copper (II) Cyanide | 4367-08-2 |
| Gold Cyanide | 506-65-0 |
| Zinc Cyanide | 557-21-1 |
| Hydrogen Cyanide & Hydrocyanic Acid Solutions | 74-90-8 |
| Sodium Cyanide | 143-33-9 |
| Silver Cyanide | 506-64-9 |
| Potassium Cyanide | 151-50-8 |
| Mercury Cyanide | 592-04-1 |
| Lithium Cyanide | 2408-36-8 |
| Lead Cyanide | 592-05-2 |
All of the cyanide compounds found in the above table require a special cyanide antidote kit if they are to be used or stored in the lab; there are no exceptions to this rule. If a lab is found to have any of these compounds without the required antidote kit during our laboratory safety inspection, it will be listed as a deficiency that must be corrected. Cyanide antidote kits can be purchased at the link below (please note that a DEA license is required to purchase this kit. If you do not have a DEA license contact Dr. Steve Wintermeyer (swinterm@iupui.edu).
http://www.buyemp.com/product/1124401.html
The cyanide antidote kit contains amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, and sodium thiosulfate. First responders should allow the victim to inhale the amyl nitrite for 15-30 seconds per minute until a paramedic or physician arrives to administer the sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate intravenously. This kit is necessary for the personal safety of those in the lab because cyanide poisoning is lethal if not treated immediately.
Cyanide poisoning can cause a pink or red skin coloring. If there is a lack of oxygen the skin turns to blue (cyanosis); this is a sign of severe poisoning. For complete detailed instructions please see the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the particular compound you are using.
The laboratory personnel in most of the labs where we are finding these compounds are unaware of the required antidote kit. In most cases researchers forget they have these compounds in the lab because they are not essential to current lab experiments. Mercury Cyanide requires special permission to use on campus under the regulations of the mercury elimination policy that was instituted for the IUPUI campus. (For more details refer to the EHS website.)
If you are no longer using a cyanide compound our Laboratory Safety Technicians will manifest the compound for Environmental Management to dispose of and we will indicate that the deficiency has been corrected on the report.
All procedures using cyanide compounds should be done in a fume hood while wearing appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) such as a lab coat, eye protection, and nitrile gloves to prevent accidental exposure. Lab employees should be aware of the hazards when working with the chemical as well as emergency procedures for accidental release or spills. If there is a leak or spill please evacuate the lab and contact the IUPUI public safety dispatch center immediately at 274-7911 or 911 from a campus phone.
Cyanide compounds should be stored separately from incompatible chemicals such as flammable liquids, acids, bases, oxidizers and liquid chemicals. They should be stored in a vented, cool, and dry area in secondary container because exposure to moisture or acids can release poisonous hydrogen cyanide gas. They should also be stored so that they will not come into contact with water if the sprinkler system is activated.
For disposal of any cyanide compound please contact our Environmental Manager Kevin Mouser at 274-4351 or e-mail kmouser@iupui.edu.