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Diss Factsheets
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EC number: 200-821-6 | CAS number: 74-90-8
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
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Phototransformation in air
Administrative data
- Endpoint:
- phototransformation in air
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- key study
- Reliability:
- 1 (reliable without restriction)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- other: Valid scientific study
Data source
Referenceopen allclose all
- Reference Type:
- publication
- Title:
- The atmospheric chemistry of hydrogen cyanide (HCN)
- Author:
- Ciccerone RJ and Zellner R
- Year:
- 1 983
- Bibliographic source:
- J Geophys Res 88: 10689-96
- Reference Type:
- review article or handbook
- Title:
- Unnamed
- Year:
- 2 007
Materials and methods
Test guideline
- Qualifier:
- no guideline available
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- valid measurement and estimation method
- GLP compliance:
- not specified
Test material
- Reference substance name:
- Hydrogen cyanide
- EC Number:
- 200-821-6
- EC Name:
- Hydrogen cyanide
- Cas Number:
- 74-90-8
- Molecular formula:
- CHN
- IUPAC Name:
- hydrogen cyanide
Constituent 1
Results and discussion
- Results with reference substance:
- Cicerone and Zellner (1983) developed a numerically iterative model that integrated the total atmospheric flux of HCN from reaction with the hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen and direct photolysis. Input parameters were taken from earlier work of the same and other authors. The effective rate constant for OH addition decreased with rising altitude (hydroxyl radical concentration): KOH ranged from0.022 to 0.011E–12 cm3/molecule/s in the troposphere (3.20 - 8.60E6 hydroxyl radical/cm3), and 0.0088 to 0.0000069E–12 cm3/molecule/s in the stratosphere (21.3 - 4.81E6 hydroxyl radical/cm3, maximum 32.0E6 hydroxyl radical/cm3). The rate constant for reaction with stratospheric singlet oxygen was set at 10–12 cm3/molecule/s, independent of pressure and temperature (altitude). HCN photoabsorption and dissociation were assumed to be similar to those of HCl, and parameterised from other work by the same authors. The resulting overall atmospheric lifetime for HCN was estimated to be 2.5 years, or between 1.3 and 5.0 years when hydroxyl radical concentrations were doubled or halved, respectively.
Any other information on results incl. tables
HCN reacts with naturally occurring hydroxyl radicals formed by sunlight through addition on the double bond, followed by rapid oxidation to CO and nitric oxide (NO). This photo-oxidation occurs both in the troposphere (0 - 8 km) and stratosphere (up to 80 km). Another path for HCN oxidation, dominant in the higher stratosphere (> 34 km), was reportedly the reaction with singlet oxygen. Direct photolysis of HCN was assumed to play a minor role at high altitudes (> 54 km). About 98% of HCN (from ground-level sources) was considered to remain in the stratosphere. In all, tropospheric oxidation by hydroxyl radical addition presents the major sink of HCN (and a source of NOx, see below). Reactions with other gases such as CO or O3 do not occur. Because of its low solubility and weak acidity, HCN was expected to have a very long atmospheric lifetime against rainout. Thus, it would take 34 years of average rainfall (1 m/y) to remove 200 ppt of gaseous HCN from the atmosphere if the rain were saturated with HCN at pH 4. There should be no significant diurnal variation in HCN concentrations, and there were "no obvious and major roles" for HCN in tropospheric chemistry. This has been the conventionally held view until the 1990's.
Applicant's summary and conclusion
- Validity criteria fulfilled:
- yes
- Remarks:
- reviewed as valid
- Conclusions:
- Most (98%) HCN from ground-level sources remains in the stratosphere. Tropospheric oxidation by hydroxyl radicals presents the main atmospheric reaction for HCN. An alternative theory is that the ocean is a major sink for atmospheric HCN concentrations.
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