Cyanide

This study aims to determine whether or not cyanide content in various species of yams in the District of Tempel, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The samples were cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), water yam (Discorea Alata), intoxicating yam (Dioscorea hispida Dennst), canna lilly (Canna discolor L), and taro (Colocasia esculenta). The qualitative test was performed by cementing the sample with aquadest and 10% tartrate acid and then covering the erlenmeyer that containing the sample with dry filter paper immersed in saturated picric acid and dampened with 8% sodium carbonate and then heating it. Quantitative tests were performed using a spectrum 20 with a wavelength of 590 nm. This quantitative test is based on forming a blue hydrindantin complex at pH 12 when cyanide is reacted with a ninhydrin complex. The results showed that in qualitative test, sample containing cyanide was indicated by the change of color of filter paper from yellow to brownish red. Quantitative results show that cyanid...

This paper describes a process for recovering gold from aqueous cyanide solutions using naturally occurring soil microorganisms. In this research, microbes successfully liberated gold cations from aurocyanide complexes. The gold was subsequently captured on iron and zinc electron donors. Three sets of bench scale experiments were conducted using cyanide degrading biomass that had been enriched on cyanide as a sole nitrogen source. After cyanide degrading microorganisms populated microcosm reactors, the biomass was fed with a gold cyanide solution. Microorganisms consumed the CN− moiety of aurocyanide complexes, releasing gold cations. A portion of the gold was recovered on steel wool or zinc which served as cathodes. Although gold recovery rates were low, methods for improving efficiency were investigated.

ABSTRAK Latar Belakang: Toksikologi merupakan suatu cabang ilmu yang membahas seputar efek merugikan dari agen kimiawi terhadap semua sistem makhluk hidup. Toksikologi forensik sendiri berkaitan dengan penerapan ilmu toksikologi pada berbagai kasus kriminalitas dimana obat-obatan dan bahan-bahan kimia dapat menimbulkan konsekuensi medikolegal serta dapat menjadi bukti dalam pengadilan. Salah satu zat toksik yang sering digunakan dalam kasus kriminalitas adalah sianida. Sianida telah digunakan dalam pembunuhan massal, bunuh diri dan sebagai senjata perang. Sianida juga sering mengakibatkan keracunan di laboratorium dikarenakan penyemprotan (fumigasi) di lahan pertanian dan gudang-gudang kapal. Pada pemeriksaan luar dan dalam yang dilakukan terhadap tubuh jenazah yang mengalami keracunan sianida akan ditemukan beberapa tanda-tanda khas. Hal inilah yang dapat memperkuat dugaan keracunan sianida sebagai penyebab kematian. Untuk itu perlu diketahui tanda-tanda khas yang dapat ditemukan pada pemeriksaan forensik yang dilakukan terhadap tubuh korban. Kasus: Seorang perempuan berumur 26 tahun ditemukan meninggal dunia diatas tempat tidur didalam rumah kontrakannya oleh ibu kandungnya. Diatas meja yang terletak disamping tempat tidur korban terdapat sebuah gelas bening yang berisi cairan tidak berwarna dan tidak berbau. Ibu kandungnya melaporkan kejadian tersebut ke pihak polisi. Kemudian, polisi menindak lanjuti laporan keluarga ke lokasi dan membawa jenazah tersebut bersama surat permintaan visumnya ke RSUD Raden Mattaher Jambi untuk dilakukan pemeriksaan luar dan dalam. Kesimpulan: Penyebab kematian korban keracunan sianida adalah anoksia histotoksik yaitu oksi-Hb sulit untuk berdisosiasi karena sianida menginaktifkan beberapa enzim oksidatif seluruh jaringan secara radikal sehingga jaringan tubuh kekurangan oksigen.

Pengolahan limbah cair dapat dilakukan secara fisika, kimia, maupun biologi. Pengolahan secara biologi menggunakan mikroorganisme dan tanaman tingkat tinggi. Sebagai upaya pemulihan tanah dan air yang terkontaminasi unsur mikro beracun dan zat organik akibat pencemaran limbah cair industri, maka akhir-akhir ini dilakukan pengelolaan dengan menggunakan tanaman. Beberapa tanaman secara alami sangat efektif dalam menyerap dan mengakumulasi berbagai logam beracun dan zat organik dalam jaringan tanaman (Environmental Protection Agency, 2001) dan biayanya relatif murah.
Suatu teknologi baru yang menggunakan variasi tanaman untuk membersihkan, menurunkan, atau mengekstrak kontaminan dari tanah dan air prosesnya disebut fitoremediasi. Teknologi fitoremediasi bekerja dengan baik pada tempat tingkat polusinya rendah bahkan sampai tingkat polusinya sedang. Pada proses remediasi ini tanaman memindahkan bahan kimia berbahaya dari tempat dimana akarnya mengambil air dan nutrisi dari tanah, sungai, dan air bawah tanah yang terkontaminasi. Bahan kimia yang diserap oleh tanaman disimpan dalam akar, batang, dan daun yang nantinya akan dirubah menjadi bahan kimia yang kurang berbahaya, dirubah dalam bentuk gas dan dilepaskan ke udara dalam proses transpirasi (Schnoor, 2002). Mekanisme fitoremediasi terdiri atas fitodegradasi, fitoekstraksi, fitostabilisasi, fitovolatilisasi, dan rizofiltrasi (Priyanto dan Prayitno, 2005).
Beberapa tanaman yang baik untuk diaplikasikan dalam meremediasi zat organik, nutrient atau logam-logam antara lain kangkung air (Ipomoea reptans), enceng gondok(Eichhornia crassipes), kiambang (Salvinia molesta)
(Moenandir dan Hidayat, 1993; Effendi, 1988; Moenandir dan Irawan, 1993).  Hasil penelitian Effendi (1988) menunjukkan bahwa enceng gondok mampu mengolah limbah cair dari limbah buangan industri tepung tapioka, hasil yang diperoleh adalah enceng gondok mampu menurunkan BOD sebesar 76,38%-79,49% dan penurunan BOT sebesar 73,67%-76,52%; nilai kekeruhan menurun tajam sebesar 80,77%-84,62% dan meningkatkan Dissolved Oxygen (DO). Berdasarkan kemampuan di atas, maka enceng gondok diduga sangat efektif dalam meremediasi pada kawasan yang tercemar.
  Selama ini penelitian tentang remediasi oleh enceng gondok terhadap limbah cair industri, khususnya limbah cair industri tapioka masih belum banyak diteliti. Hasil analisa kualitas air limbah industri tapioka sebagai berikut:
BOD sebesar 2121,1 mg/L, COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) sebesar 5709 mg/L, TSS (Total Suspended Solid) sebesar 362,8 mg/L, CN (Sianida) sebesar 0,92 mg/L, dan DO sebesar 0,48 mg/L.

The uncontrolled releases of blood gases have been to blame for historic public health catastrophes, but they also play vital roles in modern day industrial processes and within the body. Cyanide, specifically hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are two such blood gases of interest. Accurate assessments of the risks each pose are essential to capitalizing on their positive contributions to society and preventing further incidents. While these two compounds have been studied for many years, new research is shedding light on their potential sources, emission rates, risks, and antidotal mechanisms; emerging science centered on the endogenous role of H2S has enthused many researchers regarding the potential application of this blood gas in preventing or treating maladies, yet caution must be exercised in such endeavors as we still do not fully understand the mechanisms by which H2S is toxic to humans. Recent studies have pointed to the risk of exposure to elevated levels of cyanide in foods, but also from anthropogenic sources such as fire smoke, marijuana smoke, and releases from mining sites. This study reviews recent literature surrounding H2S and cyanide sources and human health effects, including discussions on their sources, emission rates, and mechanisms of toxicity, in order to better understand their public health significance. Finally, recommendations for better management of these two blood gases to reduce risk are presented, including remarks on systematic air monitoring and antidote needs, public health preparedness considerations, and the potential risks that hydrogen sulfide and cyanide pose on a global scale.

Improving the efficiency of noble metal extraction without increasing the consumption of the leaching agent is one of the goals in the development of novel hydrometallurgical routes. This is particularly important when dangerous compounds (such as cyanide) are involved in mineral processing. Ultrasound-assisted leaching is presented here as an advantageous process able to increase the amount of silver leached from a polymetallic sulfide-based mineral by ~300%, without increasing cyanide consumption. Our results suggest that sonication removes solid by-products that hinder the leaching process. While in the absence of sonication cyanide consumption rises steadily even though silver leaching has reached a maximum, under sonication both cyanide consumption and silver extraction follow similar trends, indicating that side reactions are decreased. The enhanced efficiency in both silver extraction and cyanide consumption indicate that ultrasound-assisted leaching can be introduced as a greener method in mineral processing.

Autores: Carlos Gamarra, Utec / Alejandro Alarcón, Utec / Thalia Canchanya, Utec / Maryori García, Utec / Giuliana Pareja, Utec / Carlos Segura, Utec / Juan Carlos F. Rodríguez, Utec

Objective: This study aimed to adequately investigate the most frequent causes of poisoning in camels and sheep in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: Appropriate data were carefully collected from the recorded animal poisoning cases in the Veterinary Health and Monitoring Department, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), during the period (from 2018 to 2019). All recorded cases were accurately diagnosed with a case history and reported clinical signs as well as definitive confirmation by laboratory analysis of the collected samples. Results: From the recorded data of 852 camel and sheep poisoned cases, the results showed that the primary causes of animal poisoning in Saudi Arabia were Cyanogenic glycosides (42.25%), Pesticides (26.76%), Mycotoxins (18.8%), and Drugs (12.2%). These cases were recorded only in 5 geographical regions (Riyadh, Qassim, Makkah, Northern borders, and Eastern province) Conclusion: Accidental toxicity in camel and sheep in KSA was mainly caused by Cyanogenic glycosides, Pesticides, Mycotoxins, and Drug toxicity. The frequent reasons for possible toxicity should be minimized through active veterinary extension.

Background: Traditional herbal drink, Jamu, is popular among Javanese. This paper reports two cases of death after taking a slimming Jamu. Interestingly, an illegal love affair was involved in this the case too. Case Report: The first victim (victim 1), a female, rapidly convulsed and died after taking a slimming Jamu drink. However, her brother (victim 2), after tasting just a small amount of that Jamu, rapidly became convulsive and unconscious. Although, he was immediately brought to hospital, he died before receiving any treatment. Because the death was unnatural, he was sent to the Department of Forensic Medicine for investigation. His sister was buried without any medico-legal examination, but later on the exhumation was performed. In autopsy, the victim 1 was found pregnant. Both victims had no injury on their bodies. Evidence of cyanide was positive in tissue samples, but negative in the control sample (soil). Conclusion: Both victims had the same cause of death, which was cyanide poisoning. The manner of death was suspected as homicide.

Context: Some flavonoids have been described as neuroprotectors. Gossypitrin (Gos) is a natural occurring flavonoid and the main bioactive substance from the flowers of Talipariti elatum Sw. (Majagua azul), traditionally used in Cuba as expectorant and antiasthmatic. Only few reports have documented its antioxidant properties.

Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of Gos against cyanide-induced oxidative stress and cell death in PC12 cells.

Methods: Gos effects on DPPH/ ABTS radical scavenging, ferric reducing power and lipid peroxidation were examined. The ischemia/reperfusion neuronal damage was produced by exposing PC12 cells to KCN in glucose-free medium. Gos was added to the incubation medium 30 min before chemical hypoxia induction. The neuroprotective potential of Gos was assessed by measuring cell viability by the MTT assay, the antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT, and GSH and lipid peroxidation levels. Rutin (Rut), the well-known antioxidant, was used as a reference compound.

Results: Gos showed a potent intrinsic antioxidant capacity evidenced by low IC50 and EC50 values for DPPH/ABTS/malondialdehyde and ferric reducing power, respectively. Pre-treatment of PC12 cells with Gos, significantly increased their survival against KCN, restored the levels of GSH and the SOD and CAT enzymes activities, as well as reduced the level of lipid peroxidation. Its antioxidant effects were higher than those elicited by Rut.

Conclusions: The results show for the first time the neuroprotective potential of Gos against hypoxic cell damage, probably associated to its antioxidant effects.

Cassava is an important dietary component for over 1 billion people, and its ability to yield under drought has led to it being promoted as an important crop for food security under climate change. Despite its known photosynthetic plasticity in response to temperature, little is known about how temperature affects plant toxicity or about interactions between temperature and drought, which is important because cassava tissues contain high levels of toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a major health and food safety concern. In a controlled glasshouse experiment, plants were grown at 2 daytime temperatures (23 °C and 34 °C), and either well-watered or subject to a 1 month drought prior to harvest at 6 months. The objective was to determine the separate and interactive effects of temperature and drought on growth and toxicity. Both temperature and drought affected cassava physiology and chemistry. While temperature alone drove differences in plant height and above-ground biomass, drought and temperature × drought interactions most affected tuber yield, as well as foliar and tuber chemistry, including C : N, nitrogen and cyanide potential (CNp; total cyanide released from cyanogenic glucosides). Conditions that most stimulated growth and yield (well-watered × high temperature) effected a reduction in tuber toxicity, whereas drought inhibited growth and yield, and was associated with increased foliar and tuber toxicity. The magnitude of drought effects on tuber yield and toxicity were greater at high temperature; thus, increases in tuber CNp were not merely a consequence of reduced tuber biomass. Findings confirm that cassava is adaptable to forecast temperature increases, particularly in areas of adequate or increasing rainfall; however, in regions forecast for increased incidence of drought, the effects of drought on both food quality (tuber toxicity) and yield are a greater threat to future food security and indicate an increasing necessity for processing of cassava to reduce toxicity.

Ekolojiye saldırılar sürdükçe, saldırıya karşı direnişler de sürecek ve biz yazmaya, söylemeye ve yayınlamaya devam edeceğiz.

“İnsanın canı,  acıdığı yerdedir” derler.
Türkiye'nin de canı acıyor. Ülkenin dört bir yanından feryatlar yükseliyor. Tıpkı bir canlı gibi ülkemizin canı,  can damarlarından acıyor:  Dağlarından,  derelerinden, ormanlarından,  ovalarından, tarihi ve kültürel varlıklarından,  zeytinliklerinden ve tarım alanlarından acı feryatlar yükseliyor.

Şu anda verilmiş kırk binin üzerinde maden ruhsatı var. Dağlar çığlık çığlığa. Yaşam alanlarımızı tüketiyorlar. Daha çok haysiyetli bilim insanına, daha çok hukuka-hukukçuya ve daha çok kitlesel direnişe ihtiyaç var.


Uşak Eşme'de yıllardır Kışladağ altın madenine karşı güçlü bir direniş var.
Bu mücadelenin içinden Muammer Sakaryalı haykırıyor.  Görmeyen gözler görsün, duymayan kulaklar duysun, bu siyanürle altın işleme madenci çılgınlığı bitsin istiyor.

Elimizde duyarlılığımız ve dayanışma ruhumuz var.
Duyarlılığımızı kaybedersek, bilinsin ki her şeyimizi kaybederiz.

Lemon peel was examined in this work as innovative inexpensive biosorption material for cyanide (CN-) removal from aqueous solution. The influence of adsorbent amount, feed flow rate, CN-concentration, and solution pH on the breakthrough and saturation points was determined. To determine the design parameters required to scale up the system, this work explores six different kinetics models. The data showed that the breakthrough curve is highly dependent on the investigated parameters. The system showed perfect performance, achieving more than 99% removal of CN- at the optimum conditions for the first 25 minutes. Furthermore, this work examined utilizing the used adsorbent, saturated lemon peel with cyanide, as inexpensive rodent pesticide by tested on an outbred multi-purpose breed of albino rats and compare the results with the median lethal dose (LD50) for those rats. The test results showed a fetal effect of the adsorption residue on the rats. This step will assure a safe method to dispose of the adsorption residue, as well as provide an inexpensive rodent pesticide, which increases the economic feasibility of this removal technique.

Plants producing toxic plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) deter folivores from feeding on them. Animals that can cope with noxious PSMs have a niche with a competitive advantage over other species. However, the ability to cope with toxic PSMs incurs the costs of detoxification. To assess possible compensations for the ingestion of toxic PSMs, we compare the chemical quality of plants consumed by bamboo lemurs (genera Hapalemur and Prolemur; strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar) in areas with and without bamboo. Some bamboo lemurs consume bamboo containing concentrations of cyanogenic substances 10–50 times above the average lethal dosage for mammals, and we postulate that animals consuming cyano-genic substances need supplementary protein or readily available energy for detoxifi-cation. We compared the chemical composition of food consumed by three species of bamboo lemurs that feed mainly (>80% of their time) on bamboo in the evergreen rainforest of Ranomafana (Madagascar) with published data of the diets of bamboo lemurs at two sites without highly cyanogenic plants (reed beds of Lac Alaotra and the evergreen littoral forest of Mandena) and with food of sympatric folivorous lemur species that do not feed on bamboo. Lemurs feeding on bamboo consumed up to twice as much protein as bamboo lemurs in areas without bamboo and sympatric lemur species that feed on leaves of trees. Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates (a source of energy) showed the opposite trend. This result supports the hypothesis that feeding on cyanogenic plants is linked to high protein intake, either as a source of protein or for sulfur-containing amino acids that can be used for detoxification. Owing to the high protein concentrations in bamboo, however, we cannot distinguish between the hypothesis that lemurs that eat bamboo target additional food items with higher
protein from the hypothesis that lemurs feeding on bamboo unavoidably obtain higher concentrations of protein than animals feeding on leaves of trees, without an added nutritional benefit.

This research was aimed at investigating the effect of temperature on the rate of
drying moisture and cyanide contents of cassava chips using oven drying process.
Five varieties of raw cassava (Manihot Esculenta, Crantz) namely TMS 98/0510, TME
419, TMS 97/2205, NR 87184 and TMS 96/1632 were harvested at twelve (12) months
after planting (MAP) from the experimental plots of the Enugu State College of
Agriculture and Agro-Entrepreneurship Iwollo-Ezeagu Enugu, Nigeria. For each of
the varieties 2kg of tubers were processed. The results from the research showed that
processing of the cassava tubers into dried cassava chips using oven process resulted
in an acceptable level of moisture and cyanide contents which were in conformity with

Many important food crops produce cyanogenic glucosides as natural defense compounds to protect against herbivory or pathogen attack. It has also been suggested that these nitrogen-based secondary metabolites act as storage reserves of nitrogen. In sorghum, three key genes, CYP79A1, CYP71E1 and UGT85B1, encode two Cytochrome P450s and a glycosyltransferase, respectively, the enzymes essential for synthesis of the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin. Here, we report the use of targeted induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) to identify a line with a mutation resulting in a premature stop codon in the N-terminal region of UGT85B1. Plants homozygous for this mutation do not produce dhurrin and are designated tcd2 (totally cyanide deficient2) mutants. They have reduced vigor, being dwarfed, with poor root development and low fertility. Analysis using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) shows that tcd2 mutants accumulate numerous dhurrin pathway derived metabolites, some of which are similar to those observed in transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the CYP79A1 and CYP71E1 genes. Our results demonstrate
that UGT85B1 is essential for formation of dhurrin in sorghum with no co-expressed endogenous UDP-glucosyltransferases able to replace it. The tcd2 mutant suffers from self-intoxication because sorghum does not have a feedback mechanism to inhibit the initial steps of dhurrin biosynthesis when the glucosyltransferase activity required to complete the synthesis of dhurrin is lacking. The LC-MS analyses also revealed the presence of metabolites in the tcd2 mutant which have been suggested to be derived from dhurrin via endogenous pathways for nitrogen recovery, thus indicating which enzymes may be involved in such pathways.

Cassava is an important dietary component for over 1 billion people, and its ability to yield under drought has led to it being promoted as an important crop for food security under climate change. Despite its known photosynthetic plasticity in response to temperature, little is known about how temperature affects plant toxicity or about interactions between temperature and drought, which is important because cassava tissues contain high levels of toxic cya-nogenic glucosides, a major health and food safety concern. In a controlled glasshouse experiment, plants were grown at 2 daytime temperatures (23 °C and 34 °C), and either well-watered or subject to a 1 month drought prior to harvest at 6 months. The objective was to determine the separate and interactive effects of temperature and drought on growth and toxicity. Both temperature and drought affected cassava physiology and chemistry. While temperature alone drove differences in plant height and above-ground biomass, drought and temperature 9 drought interactions most affected tuber yield, as well as foliar and tuber chemistry, including C : N, nitrogen and cyanide potential (CNp; total cyanide released from cyanogenic glucosides). Conditions that most stimulated growth and yield (well-watered 9 high temperature) effected a reduction in tuber toxicity, whereas drought inhibited growth and yield, and was associated with increased foliar and tuber toxicity. The magnitude of drought effects on tuber yield and toxicity were greater at high temperature; thus, increases in tuber CNp were not merely a consequence of reduced tuber bio-mass. Findings confirm that cassava is adaptable to forecast temperature increases, particularly in areas of adequate or increasing rainfall; however, in regions forecast for increased incidence of drought, the effects of drought on both food quality (tuber toxicity) and yield are a greater threat to future food security and indicate an increasing necessity for processing of cassava to reduce toxicity.

Sodium cyanide which has a wide range of applications in mining industries also has harmful
effects on various organisms. The cyanide utilized by mining industries is let off into streams
seriously compromises with the survival of the fish population. In the present study an attempt
was made to analyze the toxicity of sodium cyanide to the kidney of freshwater fish Cyprinus
carpio by histopathological aids. The results obtained suggested that sodium cyanide at a
concentration of 0.2mg/L (1/5th of LC50) can impact the fish kidney in a catastrophic manner and
cause the variation in histoarchitechture of kidney. Based on the outcome of the present study, it
is therefore suggested that appropriate measures be taken for detoxification of sodium cyanide
before it is discharged in to streams, as it can compromise the survival of aquatic habitat
consequently resulting in the disturbances of aquatic ecosystem

Cyanogenesis is the process by which toxic hydrogen cyanide is released from endogenous cyanide containing compounds. Many cyanogenic plants release HCN in sufficient quantities to be toxic and, as a result, tend to be avoided by herbivores. However, there are many exceptions with some herbivores either immune to the cyanogenic status of the plant, or in some cases attracted to cyanogenic plants. This has led to a certain degree of scepticism regarding the role of cyanogenic glycosides as defence compounds. In this review we examine evidence showing that differences in the effectiveness of cyanogenic glycosides in deterring herbivory can usually be reconciled when the morphology, physiology and behaviour of the animals, together with the concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in the host plant, are taken into account. Cyanogenic glycosides are not effective against all herbivores, and not all cyanogenic plants release enough cyanide to be considered toxic. Nevertheless, they do form part of the broad spectrum of toxic and distasteful compounds that herbivores must accommodate if they are to feed on cyanogenic plants.

Background: Traditional herbal drink, Jamu, is popular among Javanese. This paper reports two cases of death after taking a slimming Jamu. Interestingly, an illegal love affair was involved in this the case too. Case Report: The first victim (victim 1), a female, rapidly convulsed and died after taking a slimming Jamu drink. However, her brother (victim 2), after tasting just a small amount of that Jamu, rapidly became convulsive and unconscious. Although, he was immediately brought to hospital, he died before receiving any treatment. Because the death was unnatural, he was sent to the Department of Forensic Medicine for investigation. His sister was buried without any medico-legal examination, but later on the exhumation was performed. In autopsy, the victim 1 was found pregnant. Both victims had no injury on their bodies. Evidence of cyanide was positive in tissue samples, but negative in the control sample (soil). Conclusion: Both victims had the same cause of death, which was cy...

Cyanide pollution of aquatic environment has become a great concern in Nigeria because of the increase in cassava cultivation. In Nigeria, cassava processing milling plants are usually situated around streams or rivers such that the waste from each stages of processing easily find their way into these water bodies as effluents and waste waters. Extracellular rhodanese of Klebsiella edwardsii isolated from Atutulala stream, Modakeke, where cassava is being processed, was assessed for its bioremediation potential. Cyanide concentration of the stream was analysed for six months. Four bacterial isolates were screened for their ability to degrade free cyanide and the best strain was further screened for rhodanese producing ability. The enzyme was purified by 85% ammonium sulphate precipitation and diethyl aminoethyl-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography. The pure enzyme had a specific activity of 0.0473 Rhodanese Unit mg-1 with a purification fold of 4.56 and a percentage yield of 30.30%. The enzyme demonstrated a broad pH range but the optimum pH was at 6.0 while the optimum temperature was 60°C. The bioremediation potential of the enzyme was assessed under various conditions such as the field pH and temperature as well as optimum pH and temperature using the cyanide contaminated water as substrate source in a typical assay protocol. The enzyme was able to convert 1.6481 µmol of cyanide to thiocyanate in the water sample at optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme. It could be concluded from the study that at optimum pH and temperature, rhodanese exhibited remediation activity in cyanide contaminated aquatic ecosystems and thus, can be used for its restoration.

Cassava is an important dietary component for over 1 billion people, and its ability to yield under drought has led to it being promoted as an important crop for food security under climate change. Despite its known photosynthetic plasticity in response to temperature, little is known about how temperature affects plant toxicity or about interactions between temperature and drought, which is important because cassava tissues contain high levels of toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a major health and food safety concern. In a controlled glasshouse experiment, plants were grown at two daytime temperatures (23 °C and 34 °C), and either well-watered or subject to a one month drought prior to harvest at six months. The objective was to determine the separate and interactive effects of temperature and drought on growth and toxicity. Both temperature and drought affected cassava physiology and chemistry. While temperature alone drove differences in plant height and above-ground biomass, drought...

The activated carbon was prepared by the modified acid treatment and
activation method. The morphology of acid treated activated carbon (AC-T)was determined by BET surface area and SEM. AC-T was employed to remove cyanide from industrial effluent in a batch reactor. Furthermore, the processing parameters such as AC-T loading, pH, cyanide concentration, contact time and adsorption temperature were studied for the optimum removal of cyanide. The maximum removal of cyanide (94.5%) 90 mg L−1 is recorded at pH 7.0, AC-T loading of 30 g L−1 in a contact time of 25 min at 30 °C of adsorption temperature.