LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Hydrogen Cyanide
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Hydrogen cyanide has a pKa of 9.22; ... at physiological pH (about pH 7), hydrocyanic acid is distributed in the body as hydrogen cyanide and is not present as the free cyanide ion. Hence, the form of cyanide to which exposure occurs, the salt or the free acid, does not influence distribution, metabolism, or excretion from the body (ECETOC, 2004). Inhaled or percutaneously absorbed hydrogen cyanide passes immediately into the systemic circulation. The distribution of cyanide to the various tissues is rapid and fairly uniform. Somewhat higher levels are generally found in the liver, lungs, blood, and brain. The tissue levels of hydrogen cyanide were 0.75, 0.42, 0.41, 0.33, and 0.32mg/100 g of tissue in lung, heart, blood, kidney, and brain, respectively, in a man who died following inhalation exposure to hydrogen cyanide gas (Gettler & Baine, 1938; Ballantyne, 1983a; ATSDR, 1997; ECETOC, 2004).
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Hydrogen Cyanide does not exist in many organisms because it can be fatal, although there are a few exceptions: tiger beetles, millipedes and centipedes. When these species are attacked, they release the cyanide to deter and potentially kill the aggressor. These exceptional organisms obtain the cyanogenic compound from their food but rather than being poisoned, they store it in their cells. This unusual phenomenon is still being studied. Hydrogen cyanide is produced in large quantities all over the world by the chemical industry where it is used in tempering steel, dyeing, explosives, engraving, the production of acrylic resin plastic, and other organic chemical products. Hydrogen cyanide can be found in small quantities in fruits that have a pit, such as cherries or apricots.
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Could the liquid threat be hydrogen cyanide? Wagner James Au says: "Andrew Sullivan has an interesting take on [this], derived from Ron Suskind's recent book One-Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11, (which is, it's worth pointing out, generally and scathingly critical of the Bush administration): Why liquids? What were these weapons? One possibility is hydrogen cyanide. Ron Suskind's book revealed the terrorist breakthrough in a device called a "mubtakkar" that can be easily concealed in a carry-on bag and once detonated, kills everyone in a confined space within minutes. It's a variant of the Zyklon B innovated by the Nazis.
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There are no studies available specifically for hydrogen cyanide exposure. Some reproductive effects (e.g. reduced sperm motility) were noted in studies with rats and mice exposed by ingestion to sodium cyanide. However, fertility was not assessed in any confirmed study.
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Hydrogen cyanide is ubiquitous in nature. It is found in the stratosphere and non-urban troposphere (US EPA, 1990). It is released into the atmosphere from biomass burning, volcanoes, and natural biogenic processes from higher plants, bacteria, algae, and fungi (Fiksel et al., 1981; Cicerone & Zellner, 1983; Way, 1984; ATSDR, 1997; Li et al., 2000). An estimate of the amount of cyanide released to the environment from natural biogenic processes is not available (ATSDR, 1997).
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The available evidence does not indicate that hydrogen cyanide is mutagenic. In vivo test done with potassium cyanide have given negative results. A positive result was obtained for hydrogen cyanide in bacteria.
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Hydrogen Cyanide