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Chemical Terrorist Agents
Published in Robert A. Burke, Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders, 2017
Cyanogen chloride becomes very volatile as temperatures increase and is listed by the DOT as a 2.3 poison gas. The NFPA 704 designation for CK is estimated to be Health-4, Flammability-0, Reactivity-2, and Special-0. Cyanogen chloride vapors are highly toxic. Its four-digit UN identification number is 1589 (inhibited). The CAS number is 506-77-4. Treatment for either AC or CK poisoning is to follow the treatment protocols for airway, breathing, and circulation (ABCs) and administration of oxygen to assist breathing. Sodium nitrate and sodium thiosulfate antidotes should be administered IV ONLY. Instructions for administration and dosage should be based on local protocols and with the advice of a physician. Sodium nitrate is administered to produce methemoglobin, thus seizing the cyanide on the methemoglobin. The sodium thiosulfate combines with the confiscated cyanide to form thiocyanate, which is then excreted from the body.
Recent trends in the treatment of cyanide-containing effluents: Comparison of different approaches
Published in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2023
Ludmila Martínková, Pavla Bojarová, Anastasia Sedova, Vladimír Křen
Various chemicals have been used to oxidize cyanide to the much less toxic cyanate (Figure 1D): chlorine, hypochlorite, oxygen, air, SO2/air, ozone, or H2O2, optionally with metal catalysts such as copper. Conventional alkaline chlorination can be performed in one or two steps, producing cyanate or N2/HCO3-, respectively (Figure 1E). It has many shortcomings, such as the toxicity of chlorine, cyanogen chloride (CNCl; intermediate), and chlorinated by-products, high cost, and low efficacy for some metal cyanide complexes. Next-generation processes used other oxidants, such as SO2/air (Inco process established in 1984) or SO2/air/H2O2 (CombinOx process, Inco-Degussa, established in 2003). The CombinOx technology proved to be more robust, potentially cheaper, and more versatile, as it also removes heavy metals (Kuyucak & Akcil, 2013). In addition, the ozonation process was demonstrated in a 400-L scale using a model solution of cyanide, phenol (50 mg/L each), and 10 mg benzene/L (Acha et al., 2013). The effluent was recirculated, and ozone bubbles passed through a 5-m column where oxidation occurred. Recent innovations focused on other environmentally friendly oxidations or improved catalysts.
A method to assess dermal absorption dynamics of chemical warfare agents: Finite doses of volatile compounds
Published in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2022
As Kasting and Miller (2006) point out, the present analysis has limited accuracy for highly volatile solvents. Solute-solvent and multiple component interactions are not considered in the mathematical framework. Instead, evaporation from the skin surface is assumed to occur at a rate proportional to the local chemical concentration in the skin. A vapor absorption approach, which involves the inhalation route, would be more suitable for pure gases. The vapor pressure in the solution should be modeled to accurately describe the volatility when studying gases dissolved in an aqueous solution. The results should be interpreted with caution for the following compounds: hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, phosgene, chlorine, perfluoroisobutane, and trifluoronitrosomethane.
Detection of CNX cyanogen halides (X = F, Cl) on metal-free defective phosphorene sensor: periodic DFT calculations
Published in Molecular Physics, 2021
Mahdi Ghadiri, Mehdi Ghambarian, Mohammad Ghashghaee
Cyanides such as cyanogen halides, which are rich in electrons, are known to be highly lethal to human beings and animals since they restrain the utilisation of oxygen by the tissue [9,10]. Specifically, cyanogen chloride is a common disinfection by-product found in chloraminated waters [11–13]. Cyanogen chloride is a condensable colourless gas [10,14]. It is highly volatile chemical warfare (blood agent) with the military designation CK [10]. Exposure to CNCl can be rapidly fatal. It can severely influence the whole body by ingestion, inhalation, or skin/eye contact, thus affecting the central nervous, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems. Its vapours are extremely irritating, chocking, and corrosive. It is also used for synthesis of different chemicals and fumigation in commercial scale [10]. CNCl is highly poisonous and its metabolisation to cyanide in the human body is so quick [10,13]. It can become explosive due to polymerisation, and its permissible exposure limit (PEL) is equal to 0.3 ppm or 0.6 mg/m3 [10]. Cyanogen bromide (CNBr) is another member of the halogen cyanide family, which has been used as a common reagent in organic synthesis as well as biochemical applications, such as protein immobilisation and cleavage. Thus, the effective monitoring of this compound, in particular in aqueous systems is critical as well. One may note, however, that CNBr is often not an ideal reagent of choice, as it is much more expensive and more poisonous than free cyanide [15].