Hydrogen Cyanide facts

While investigating facts about Hydrogen Cyanide Effects and Hydrogen Cyanide Gas, I found out little known, but curios details like:

The chemical Formamide has been proposed as an alternative to water that could support life with alternative biochemistries to that currently found on Earth. It can be formed with hydrogen cyanide and water, has a large dipole moment, and dissolves almost everything that dissolves in water.

how hydrogen cyanide is formed?

In 1770s, a Swedish scientist Carl Scheele, using basic laboratory, discovered Oxygen, Tungsten etc, and other compounds like Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Hydrogen Cyanide etc, He failed to get credit for a single one. He did gain credit afterwards, but he is not credited in most Textbooks

What is hydrogen cyanide found in?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is hydrogen cyanide used for. Here are 20 of the best facts about Hydrogen Cyanide Uses and Hydrogen Cyanide Formula I managed to collect.

what's hydrogen cyanide?

1. If you smell almonds while hiking in Thailand you should run away, it might be a Shocking Pink Dragon Millipede that's producing hydrogen cyanide.

2. Even though high doses of hydrogen cyanide can be deadly for humans, small amounts of this compound can act beneficially on digestion and respiration.

3. All parts of cassava contain cyanogenic glycosides that convert into toxic hydrogen cyanide when plant tissue is damaged. Both leaves and root need to be thermally processed before consumption.

4. Fruit of firethorn also contains small quantities of hydrogen cyanide. Consumption of raw fruit can induce mild gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal ache). Fruit of firethorn needs to be crushed and thoroughly washed before consumption (water eliminates toxic compounds). Bitter taste of the fruit can be eliminated by cooking. Firethorn can be consumed in the form of jellies, marmalades and sauces.

5. Leaves, twigs and bark produce hydrogen cyanide after removal from the stem or as an answer to the injury. Hydrogen cyanide is toxic compound that can induce severe intoxication of livestock.

6. Smoking was at one time recommended during the synthesis of hydrogen cyanide. Any cyanide leaks would have changed the flavor of tobacco.

7. The almonds we eat are called "sweet almonds". They have been domesticated from their wild counterpart called "bitter almonds". Bitter almonds can yield 4-9mg of hydrogen cyanide making a couple of handfuls lethal to humans.

8. The pips in Cherrys produce hydrogen cyanide and if consumed in enough quantities can cause death.

9. There are ice volcanoes on other planets and moons like Titan that, instead of lava, erupts deadly hydrogen cyanide - a product of methane and ammonia plumes.

10. Sorghum wards off pests by releasing hydrogen cyanide

Why is hydrogen cyanide dangerous?

You can easily fact check why is hydrogen cyanide in cigarettes by examining the linked well-known sources.

About Prunes Laurocerasus aka the Cherry Laurel or English Laurel is USA. This evergreen plant is often used as hedging in gardens, and has a sweet almond / marzipan smell when the leaves are cut. The smell is produced by the release of Hydrogen Cyanide, into the air.

All parts of firethorn contain hydrogen cyanide, toxic compound that can be fatal for humans when consumed in high quantities. Plant sap can induce irritations and rash on the human skin.

Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide and sugar compound that degrades into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when metabolized. - source

Despite its extreme toxicity to humans, hydrogen cyanide is commonly found in industry, as it serves to make cyanohydrin, a compound that in turn can be used to make α-Hydroxy carboxylic acids and α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, which have a wide range of industrial applications.

Certain types of Millipedes can secrete Hydrogen Cyanide as a defense mechanism - source

When was hydrogen cyanide discovered?

Some almonds are poisonous when eaten raw. Bitter almonds contain high levels of hydrogen cyanide. Eating 10-50 in one sitting can be enough to kill an adult. Be vigilant when foraging, people!

How hydrogen cyanide works?

Burning sprayfoam releases hydrogen cyanide. And, that I probably should have been wearing a respirator and fire resistant clothing before I set it on fire.

The South Pole Vortex of Saturn's moon Titan is a giant swirling cloud of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN).