ABSTRACT
Evaluating potential human health risks of cyanide in water and soil is complicated by the chemical differences among cyanide compounds. Cyanide chemistry and environmental conditions influence potential human health risk in a number of ways — potential for release from an environmental source (e.g., soil) to an exposure medium (e.g., air), and uptake into the body as a function of exposure route, exposure duration, and inherent toxicity. For example, acute exposure to free cyanide (HCN, CN−) in air and water may be an issue in occupational settings, but exposures to cyanide at inactive MGP sites are typically subchronic (weeks to months) or chronic (at least 10% of a lifespan), and involve primarily iron-cyanide compounds in water and soil.
