Limits for drinking water: 0.050 mg/l (ppm) i.e. 50 µg/l (ppb)
- Almond smell
- Not every individual can smell the toxic concentration
- Death
Removal of cyanide from water
- Principle: special ion exchanger, reverse osmosis, chlorine oxidation, in wastewater by a biological treatment plant
Cyanides get into water almost exclusively by human activities, whether it is mining or industry. Most toxic are the so-called free cyanides. Fortunately, they are the least stable ones. Acute cyanide poisoning blocks the ability of cells to receive oxygen, resulting in coma, spasms, heart arrest and death.