Posted on 08/17/2015 6:23:40 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Tianjin Blasts: Rains Could Turn Sodium Cyanide into Deadly Hydrogen Cyanide Gas
By Mugdha Variyar
| Updated: August 17, 2015 10:58 IST
The woes for residents in China's Tianjin port city are far from over following the deadly explosion last week as the exposed sodium cyanide has the potential to release the lethal hydrogen cyanide if it rains in the region.
Sodium cyanide, which is in a solid state in a powder form, releases the deadly hydrogen cyanide when it comes in contact with water, and environmental experts have raised an alarm of this happening as storms approaching the region could bring rains to Tianjin, NBC news reported.
Hydrogen Cyanide is a lethal gas that can interfere with the body's ability to use oxygen, leading to death.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.co.in ...
Multiple methods exists including:
ALKALINE CHLORINATION,
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE,
SO2
LOL... I guess. I reviewed a couple after seeing your post. They seem rather ill-equipped to deal with a spill of this magnitude.
I have a circa 1985 booklet published by DuPont titled: "Sodium Cyanide: Properties, Uses, Storage and Safe Handling". In it, it says:
Mild oxidants, such as alkaline hypochlorite solutions, hydrogen peroxide solutions, and permanganate solutions can oxidize cyanide to sodium cyanate. The reactions find wide use in the control of cyanides in effluent. These oxidation reactions MUST BE in dilute solutions to avoid formation of highly toxic gases (Wee "Waste Disposal).
In the Waste Disposal sections, it states the following:
CAUTION: CONCENTRATED HYPOCHLORITE SHOULD NOT BE MIXED WITH CONCENTRATED CYANIDE SOLUTIONS SOLID CYANIDE BECAUSE HIGHLY TOXIC CYANOGEN CHLORIDE GAS WILL BE RELEASED
A similar warning is listed later regarding use of peroxides. I think either is acceptable for use in a controlled environment. Over a wide, varying contamination? I'm not so sure.
The best solution for them, I expect it... clean up as much dry stuff as possible before the rain... then, get people OUT of the immediate area, and downwind.... let mother nature do to work. Hopefully, they can contain much of the water. But, mother nature can win that battle if she wants.
That right there is FUNNY!
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