This guide provides standard terminology for use in identifying and describing the different chemical forms of cyanide. The complex nature of cyanide chemistry, existence of numerous distinct chemical forms as well as the various regulatory distinctions that may be made can lead to confusion in technical discussions on cyanide and in the selection of appropriate methods for its analysis. This guide is intended to provide clarification and a common framework of terms and definitions to facilitate discussions and referencing different cyanide chemical species and groups of cyanide compounds.

The use of such common terminology is particularly important from an environmental perspective because certain forms of cyanide are considered to be toxic. Therefore, their release into the environment is regulated by federal and state agencies. Thus a general understanding of cyanide chemistry and species definitions is needed for proper wastewater management and testing.

1. Scope

1.1 This guide defines standard terminology used for the classification of the various chemical forms of cyanide. It is intended to provide a general understanding of the chemical nature of distinct cyanide species as related to chemical analysis and environmental fate and transport.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D1129 Terminology Relating to Water

D7237 Test Method for Free Cyanide with Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) Utilizing Gas Diffusion Separation and Amperometric Detection

Keywords

analysis; cyanide; cyanides; environment; free cyanide; metal cyanide complex; total cyanide; Chemical analysis--chemicals; Alkali metal-metal cyanide complex salts; Free cyanide; CATC (cyanides amenable to chlorination); Metal-metal cyanide complex salts; Strong metal cyanide complex; Terminology--chemicals; Weak acid-dissociable (WAD) cyanide; Weak metal cyanide complex;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 01.040.79 (Wood technology (Vocabularies)); 71.080.99 (Other organic chemicals)

Citing ASTM Standards

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