ABSTRACT
Chapters 1, 3, and 4 describe the production of cyanide via natural and anthropogenic sources. A range of plants and organisms produce cyanide (Chapter 3). Natural or anthropogenic cyanide deposited or discharged to soil or surface waters can be transported by water (Chapters 9 and 10), and be subject to biodegradation, adsorption, or volatilization in these systems. In the absence of natural sinks, cyanide would accumulate in the air, soil, and water (both surface and ground) environments, proving catastrophic for plant and animal life. However, accumulation does not occur in spite of significant localized discharge episodes (e.g., the January 2000 Baia Mare spill in Romania — see Chapter 1). Natural cyanide sinks exist, including microorganisms capable of degrading and assimilating cyanide (Chapter 6), certain classes of plants capable of up-taking cyanide (Chapter 24), and soils with high anion exchange capacities and organic content that can immobilize the movement of cyanide (Chapter 5).
