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

The possible
detoxification
reactions for
cyanide are shown
for this
hypothetical cell.
 Forensics :
Natural Origins

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 :
Non-Industrial sources

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 :
Delivery
 Forensics :
Detection I - KONIG REACTION

-CN + Br OH NC Br

NC Br + N NC N

2H2O
NC N NC NH2 + O

OH

N
NH2

CH

+ O
CH

O
CH2

N
NH2
Forensics :
Detection II
Treatment