RECOGNIZE That Exposure to Cyanide Is Linked to Many Different Sources
Exposure to cyanide can be accidental or intentional:
- Occupational exposure may occur for the 250,000 workers potentially exposed to cyanide (CN) in numerous occupations including mining, metallurgy, photography, extermination, and firefighting12,13
- Because liquid and solid forms of CN are transported by rail and highway, accidental exposures can occur en route to or from industrial facilities14
- Cyanide can be ingested deliberately in the case of a suicide, or used as an act of intentional poisoning, such as the 1982 Tylenol®* tampering4,15
- More than 2,650 plant species can produce CN, depending on food preparation and digestion12
Hydrogen cyanide is a widely used industrial chemical, with an estimated 1.8 billion pounds manufactured and used in the United States in 2004.14,16
87% of all hydrogen cyanide is used as an intermediary in production of materials found in14,17:
- Building construction
- Transportation vehicle interiors
- Residential and commercial interiors and furnishings
Materials or products that can produce or release cyanide during combustion include3,11,13,18:

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In the United States, an estimated 1.8 billion pounds of hydrogen cyanide were manufactured and used in 200414

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Locations of known CN users, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and/or generators.14 Cyanide is any chemical compound that contains the cyano group, which can be found in compounds of gases, solids, or liquids. Those that can release the CN ion, CN-, are highly toxic.12 Current reporting thresholds are 25,000 pounds of a chemical, manufactured or processed, and 10,000 pounds for any other use of a chemical.12
- Every state uses, processes, manufactures, or distributes CN14
- Of the 123 manufacturing facilities in the United States, the highest concentrations are in the Northeast and upper Midwest14
- Many heavily populated cities and towns have cyanide plants in the vicinity14
* Tylenol is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson
**Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Company
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