Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 207-306-5 | CAS number: 460-19-5
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Hydrogen cyanide vapours are absorbed through skin and mucous membranes surface. They are hazardous and toxic when inhaled but also when the skin is exposed.
Clinical picture of acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning: Superacute poisoning is the result of an unexpected high concentration of HCN, with unconsciousness occurring within only 10–20 seconds, followed by death in convulsions within 2–3 minutes. Acute poisoning symptoms include headache, dizziness, vision disorders, pressure in chest, rapid breathing and pulse, followed by asphyxiation and unconsciousness, and clonic and tonic convulsions, and finally respiratory and cardiac arrest. Mild poisoning symptoms include headache, dizziness, hearing problems, sore throat, and visual impairment and breathing problems. The patient is fully conscious and complete recovery is possible.
Clinical picture of chronic hydrogen cyanide poisoning: Chronic poisoning may result from repeated effects of small doses of hydrogen cyanide (cyanides) on organism for a longer time mostly due to regular consumption of food containing cyanogenic glycosides, or to repeated occupational exposures. Persons regularly exposed to effects of HCN have an increased red blood cells count, hypothyreosis as well as neurologically detected changes.
Acute toxic levels and doses: The dose-effect curve of the acute effects in humans is steep. Whereas slight effects occur at exposure to hydrogen cyanide levels of 20–40 mg/m3, 50–60 mg/m3 can be tolerated without immediate or late effects for 20 min to 1 h, 120–150 mg/m3 is dangerous to life and may lead to death after 0.5–1 h, 150 mg/m3 is likely to be fatal within 30 min, 200 mg/m3 is likely to be fatal after 10 min, and 300 mg/m3 is immediately fatal.
Effective and no-effect levels for chronic exposures: Workers exposed to HCN concentrations 17 mg/m3 revealed a high prevalence of neurological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal symptoms; after exposure to 5–13 mg/m3 for seven years showed in a large extent of subjective symptoms (headache, weakness, ao).
No epidemiological studies have been performed on ethanedinitrile. No evidence of human sensitisation was found in literature and observed in workers.
Additional information
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