Cyanide in drinking water

Summary: Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical. It is important to remove and treat cyanide in drinking water as they can be extremely harmful and may cause significant problems.

Cyanides are highly poisonous substances. They can exist in gaseous state, liquid state or as crystal powders. It is chemically composed of carbon and nitrogen and it can combine with multiples of organic and inorganic compounds. Cyanides are generally not used for household purposes. The sources of cyanides in the environment are from industrial waste disposal. They are used in manufacturing bug killers, in electroplating industry or in operations of cleaning metals. The presence of cyanide in drinking water can cause fatal results. Exposure to cyanides in any form can lead to sudden unconsciousness due to nerve damages and can even cause death.

The standard for cyanide in drinking water is fixed at 200 parts per billion or 0.2mg/L. Short term exposure to cyanides can cause rapid breathing, neurological effects, unconsciousness and other tremors. Long term exposure may result in complete nerve damage and thyroid effects. In order to avoid these serious damages, it is an absolute necessity to remove cyanide before using that water. Previously cyanides were treated with chlorides to break them down. However the process of chlorination can result in the formation of toxic intermediates which can be harmful for the environment. Nowadays, it is removed with the help of peroxides.

With the latest advances of water treatment solutions many technologically advanced machines have been designed by reputed companies to remove harmful chemicals, such as cyanides in drinking water. The best part about these machines is that they are environment friendly. They do not consume much power and thus are great electricity savers. Their installation and maintenance is easy and does not involve many expenses. They are highly efficient and outperform reverse osmosis systems for water treatment.