Last episode of Chemistry in Everyday Life: Cyanide Poisoning

Chemistry in Everyday Life

It takes a little bit more than 100mg of cyanide to kill a 75 kg human being. A little more than 100mg and the unfortunate victim will show the telltale signs of “bluish tones of oxygen deprivation mottle the skin.“

Cyanide Poisoning is as old as the usage of chemical compounds containing cyanide and this episode looks at the chemistry that happens in the body during a poisoning.

“This will be the last episode of Chemistry in Everyday Life for now. It was a huge amount of fun, but for the usual reasons, I have to suspend this beloved hobby project for an indefinite period of time. I would like to thank you all for listening. I enjoyed this experience immensely and I am proud of what I achieved. Take care everyone 😊”

The Podcast will remain online for the time being, but I will not add any new content.

Sources

Historical Background

· The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, Chapter 3, 2010, D. Blum ISBN: 978-1594202438

Cyanide Poisoning and Cyanide Chemistry

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide_poisoning

· https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-cyanide-poison-609287

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histotoxic_hypoxia

Oxidative Phosphorylation and Cytochrome C Oxidase

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytochrome_c_oxidase#Inhibition

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_phosphorylation

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_transport_chain

Mitochondria

· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrion

· https://www.thoughtco.com/mitochondria-defined-373367

Medical Treatment for Cyanide Poisoning

· https://www.drugs.com/cg/cyanide-poisoning.html

· https://www.healthline.com/health/cyanide-poisoning