Tidewater Site, Pawtucket, RI
OVERVIEW
HISTORY
MANUFACTURED GAS PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
BROWNFIELDS
SITE INVESTIGATION
HISTORY
TECHNIQUES
FINDINGS
TOXICITY
CHEMICALS
NAPHTHALENE
COAL TAR
BENZENE
POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ARSENIC
LEAD
CYANIDE
FUEL OILS # 2, 4, 6
REMEDIATION PLAN
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Sources
Cyanide
"Cyanide is a poison that can exist as a gas, liquid or white crystal powder." Examples of cyanide compounds are hydrogen cyanide, sodium cyanide, and potassium cyanide. Hydrogen Cyanide is a transparent gas that has a sharp smell. Sodium Cyanide has also a sharp smell sand its a white solid. Lastly potassium cyanide also has a sharp smell and it’s also a white solid. “Cyanide and hydrogen cyanide are used in electroplating, metallurgy, organic chemicals production, photographic developing, manufacture of plastics, fumigation of ships, and some mining processes” (“Cyanide”).
Cyanide is a toxic that some foods contain such as tapioca, lima beans, and almonds. However there are low amounts cyanide in these foods. Cyanide is also found in cigarettes, and during fires when you’re inhaling polluted air. You could be exposed to cyanide if you’re breathing near a hazardous waste site containing cyanide. Lastly drinking water is another way of being contaminated by cyanide.
If you are contaminated by cyanide there are a lot of defects you can have depending on how strong the cyanide is. Being exposed to cyanide during smoking, or inhaling too much polluted air is really bad because you are exposed to high levels of cyanide. Having high levels of cyanide can cause coma or death. If you eat food that has cyanide the defect won't be so bad because plants contain low levels of cyanide. Although if you are exposed to low levels of cyanide you can become sick, vomit, have headaches, chest pain, and blood changes.
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