Cayuga Does Cyanide pass to humans through fish?

[Zebedee]

https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2019/09/19/cayuga-lake-pollution-cargill-salt-mine-toxics-targeting-walter-hang/2354546001/

[Sk8man]

I am unsure of the answer to your question, but I have met Walter Hang and have attended lectures by him on the environment and various toxicity issues and he is more expert in that subject than probably anyone in the DEC or at Cargill.or perhaps in the state for that matter. His warnings should not go unheeded.

[Lucky13]

It is a misstatement to say that cyanide is released when Sodium Ferrocyanide is introduced to water.  Ferrocyanide is released, the anion of the salt, with Sodium as the cation. 

 

From Wikipedia:

Sodium ferrocyanide is the sodium salt of the coordination compound of formula [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻. In its hydrous form, Na₄Fe(CN)₆ • 10H₂O (sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate), it is sometimes known as yellow prussiate of soda. It is a yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. The yellow color is the color of ferrocyanide anion. Despite the presence of the cyanide ligands, sodium ferrocyanide has low toxicity (acceptable daily intake 0–0.025 mg/kg body weight^[2]). The ferrocyanides are less toxic than many salts of cyanide, because they tend not to release free cyanide.^[3] However, like all ferrocyanide salt solutions, addition of an acid can result in the production of hydrogen cyanide gas, which is toxic.

 

The bond between the Iron atom and the Cyanide molecule is a strong bond, and it requires a large amount of energy to break it, in cyanide reactions usually from a strong acid.  So if the pH of Cayuga lake drops radically, all that cyanide will be released as HCN gas.  But it will take some kind of massive infusion of acid into that environment to release the cyanide, which will be a minor problem in relation to the effects of the lowered pH. 

 

Nevertheless, any illicit discharge is a cause for concern because it could be indicative of greater problems that don't readily reveal themselves.

[Lucky13]

I should also mention that Sodium and Potassium ferrocyanide are both used as additives to salt ( NaCl) as anti caking agents.  So if you use table salt, you are eating a little bit every time you shake the shaker.

[SettinRecords915]

This hang fellow would like nothing more to have Cargill shut down for good. He is a thorn in the side for Cargill. I am a miner and have worked for Cargill for over a year now and I can assure u Cargill takes every nessecary step to keep the lake and environment safe. They have too. The DEC is in constant communication with Cargill. They are on site frequently. If there is an accident Cargill takes it very seriously and cleans it up and fixes the problem quickly and up to par with DEC regulations. Hang would like nothing more to put 250 miners out of jobs. Go ahead pal. Try to drive on any road in the Northeast during the height of winter. Be pretty damn hard without salt. 

[thork9]

That would be awesome, my truck and our bridges wouldnt rot anymore, years ago they just put sand on the roads, it worked in the mountain states they use mostly sand, 250 jobs oh well!!!! They could switch to sand pits.

[Lucky13]

The urban areas of New York have storm sewers to get rid of then runoff during rainstorms.  Storm sewers clog very rapidly with cInders or sand, not so much with soluble road salt. I will wager that anywhere you have been and sand was being used, the road side conveyance was a ditch.  It is very expensive to use a Vactor or other equipment to remove the sand from the piped system, not so much to clean a ditch with a backhoe.

[thork9]

When your driving and going under a bridge, look up and see the white icing on the joints, use salt in your urban areas, really don’t need it upstate country roads. Oh do the speed for conditions and you will be ok.

[Sk8man]

Here is what Cargill has to say about the issue https://www.cargill.com/salt-vs.-sand-for-winter-road-safety

 

[Zebedee]

Guys,

 

Thanks for the responses.  I especially appreciate the chemistry refresher Lucky!  It seems like there's a low risk of the anti-caking agent causing issues.