Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange
Abstract
Cyanide is a toxic chemical that may be introduced to living organisms as a result of both legal and illicit uses of cyanide. Exposure to cyanide can be verifi ed by analyzing cyanide or one of its break-down products from biological samples. This verifi cation is important for medical, law-enforcement, forensic, research, and veterinary purposes. This review will identify common problems associated with the analysis of cyanide and its metabolites, discuss current bioanalytical techniques used for verifi cation of cyanide exposure, and briefl y address the metabolism and toxicokinetics of cyanide and its break-down products in biological systems