Regulation of Cyanide in Water and Soil

Various forms of cyanide in water and soil have been regulated in the United States and elsewhere for many years, dating back to the beginning of the environmental era of the early 1970s. The primary driver for regulating cyanide, of all forms, is the acute human and ecological toxicity associated with hydrogen cyanide. The toxicological effects of this compound on humans and animals have been extensively examined and are well understood (see Chapters 13-15). However, it is also understood CYWS “L1666_C018” — 2005/10/12 — 17:38 — page 352 — #2 chemical forms, none of which are as toxic as hydrogen cyanide. In fact, several forms of cyanide are known to exist naturally in the environment and to serve as a source of nitrogen in the natural life cycle of plants and other organisms (Chapters 3 and 12). Analytical methods for the detection of these different forms of cyanide have been developed or approved for regulatory use relatively recently.