ABSTRACT
Malononitrile may be released to the environment in wastewater effluents associated with its use in gold ore leaching and as a chemical intermediate. If released to the atmosphere, malononitrile will exist primarily in the vapor phase. The major degradation process for malononitrile in moist soil may be hydrolysis. At 25 °C, the aqueous hydrolysis half-life has been experimentally determined to vary from 21.4 days at pH 5 to 3.1 days at pH 9. The Henry's Law constant for malononitrile indicates that it is essentially nonvolatile from water. Therefore, volatilization of malononitrile from environmental waters is not expected to be important. Occupational exposure to malononitrile can occur through inhalation of vapor and dermal contact. Malononitrile is extremely toxic by skin absorption, eye contact, and ingestion; extreme care must be exercised during handling to ensure protection against personal contamination.
