Cyanide: Lethal Substances

Abstract

Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical. Assembled from carbon and nitrogen When  it enters the body, it inhibits cellular respiration. This makes cells unable to use oxygen to produce ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), a substance that provides energy at the cellular level. Especially with organs that use high oxygen and energy, such as the brain and heart, the body increases anaerobic metabolism. It causes toxins to acidify the blood. It can cause sudden death of people who receive cyanide. Within a few minutes, depending on the amount and concentration of the substance that the body ingests.

Most people may think of cyanide as a distant thing, but in reality, cyanide is a toxic substance that circulates in our daily lives. Cyanide is found in plants and fruits, such as apple seeds. Apricot seeds,  black cherry seeds, peaches Pears and bitter almonds We can also obtain cyanide by eating the tubers and leaves of cassava (cassava) and raw bamboo shoots. Linamarin, which is found in the tubers and leaves of raw cassava. The body converts linamarin into cyanide, so we should never eat the seeds of this type of fruit, including cassava or raw bamboo shoots. We can get rid of these cyanides in a simple way by boiling and cooking.  According to research, the average blood level of cyanide in smokers is 2.5 times higher than that of non-smokers  .

Cyanide is a chemical that is used in various industries. Many types, such as the metal smelting industry. Metal Plating Gold & Jewelry It is used in the production of paper, textiles, and plastics, and is a component of many types of products, such as pesticides. Metal Polishing In addition, cyanide can be found contaminated in the air, soil, water, and food, including hydrogen cyanide  gas, potassium cyanide solution, which is caused by the burning of materials containing carbon and nitrogen, plastics, melanine, resins, nylon, silk, wool, polyurethane, and synthetic rubber  .

When exposed to cyanide toxins Patients often begin to show symptoms after receiving cyanide within a few seconds. Energy-intensive organs such as the brain and heart will be affected, and the first symptoms are headache, restlessness, confusion, lethargy, loss of consciousness or seizures, and the heart system. Symptoms start with palpitations, high blood pressure, later bradycardia and a drop in blood pressure. He suffered from cardiac arrhythmias, blood circulation failure, and died quickly. Breathing is rapid at first, then slows down to the point of stopping breathing, and vomiting and abdominal pain may occur. The overall symptoms are similar to those of a person who has been poisoned by carbon monoxide from fumigating the exhaust pipe in the car.

Cyanide can enter the body through many channels, whether it is in contact with the skin. Inhalation into the respiratory tract and ingestion into the stomach. The symptoms of people who have been exposed to cyanide depend on the area of exposure to the toxin and the amount of the toxin they are exposed to. The physical examination of people exposed to cyanide poisoning has a special characteristic of cherry-red skin because of high intravenous oxygen or dark purple skin. Breath smells of almonds, if poisoning occurs from inhalation of hydrogen cyanide, the symptoms of a person who has been poisoned may be symptomatic. Acute cardiac arrest Arrhythmias, loss of consciousness, seizures, severe acidity, and death. An autopsy found cyanide in the bloodstream, and the effects of cyanide exposure may be divisible. 2 Types as follows

Acute cyanide poisoning is an immediate symptom such as shortness of breath. Abnormal blood circulation Heart arrest, brain swelling, seizures, and loss of consciousness, etc.

Chronic cyanide toxicity (continuous exposure to small amounts of cyanide) Initially, it may cause headaches, redness, taste disorders, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and restlessness, and may cause other symptoms such as dilated pupils, coldness, weakness, and slow breathing. If left untreated, it can cause bradycardia or irregular heartbeats, skin on the face and limbs to become purple, lose consciousness, and eventually die. The accumulation of cyanide from eating excessive amounts of certain plants, such as cassava, causes numbness, loss of balance, loss of hearing, and optic nerve atrophy, which can lead to loss of vision, especially in people who smoke regularly.