﻿ABSORPTION OF HYDROCYANIC ACID. 9 



Table 2. — Hydrocyanic acid in fruits and vegetables after fumigation — Continued. 





Sodium cyanide 



Tem- 

 pera- 

 ture. 



Rela- 

 tive 

 humid- 

 ity. 



Period 

 aftor 

 fumi- 

 gation. 



Hydrocyanic add in- 



Product. 



NAP 



Vac. 



Oz. per 



100 

 cu.ft. 

 4 

 4 



4 

 4 



4 

 4 

 4 

 4 



4 

 4 

 4 

 4 



4 



4 

 4 

 4 







4 

 4 



4 

 4 







Whole 

 fruit. 



Hind. 



Flesh. 



Sapodilla: 



Ripe 



Oz. per 



100 

 cu.ft. 



°F. 



76.5 



76.5 



76.5 



76.5 



73.5 

 73.5 

 73.5 

 73.5 



75.5 



75.5 

 75.5 

 75.5 

 75.5 

 75.5 

 75.5 

 75.5 



64 

 64 

 74 

 74 



74 

 74 



64 

 64 

 67 

 67 

 67 

 67 

 47 

 47 

 47 

 70 

 70 

 70 



65 

 65 

 72 

 72 

 68 

 68 



79 

 79 



70 

 70 

 70 

 70 



40 

 40 

 40 

 40 



89 

 89 

 89 

 89 

 89 

 89 

 89 

 89 



43 

 43 

 23 

 23 

 23 

 23 



42 

 42 

 53 

 53 

 53 

 53 



44 

 44 

 33 

 33 

 34 

 34 



66 

 66 



Days. 

 

 1 

 

 1 





 1 

 

 1 





 



1 

 1 





 



1 

 1 



1 



I 



1 







1 







o 







1 







1 



? 



3 







1 



3 



1 



1 







1 







1 







1 



Parts 



per 



million. 



53 

 53 

 54 

 51 



% 



25 



55 

 30 



M 

 51 







120 

 89 



7 

 2 

 2 



52 

 92 

 92 



120 

 110 



Parts 



per 



million. 



660 



110 



450 



50 



130 

 110 

 94 

 55 



Part* 

 per 

 million. 

 120 



Do 





34 



Do 



4 

 4 



110 



Do 



15 



Squash: 



51 



Do 





15 



Do 



4 



4 



36 



Do 



29 



Strawberries: 



Ripe but firm 





Do 









Do 









Do 









Do 



4 

 4 

 4 

 4 







Do 







Do 







Do •.. 







Tangerines: 







Do 









Do 





400 

 85 



430 

 98 



59 



Do 





23 



Do 



4 

 4 



54 



Do 



Tomatoes: 



Ripe 



16 



Do 







Do 



74 

 28 

 56 

 14 



17 



Do 



23 



Do 



Do 



Green 



4 

 4 

 1J 



1J 

 l| 



1} 



12 

 9 



Do 







Do 







Do 







Do 







Do 







Turnips: 



Good 







Do 







Do 



Do 



Do 



4 

 4 



120 

 45 



340 

 99 



5 



i 



53 

 31 

 120 



Do 



43 



"Watermelon: 



Do 



' 4 

 4 



None. 

 None. 



2 Sample cut and allowed to stand overnight before analysis. 



» Sample stored at 70° F. 



All the fumigated fruits and vegetables absorbed some hydrocyanic 

 acid, but the quantities absorbed differed widely for different prod- 

 ucts. In general, the hard-skinned products, such as apples, oranges, 

 lemons, watermelons, and grapefruit, had comparatively little of the 

 gas in the flesh or edible parts. On the other hand, fruits and vege- 

 tables of a succulent nature or containing much chlorophyll absorbed 

 larger quantities. Of course, in many cases these products are cooked 

 before eating, so that most of the hydrocyanic acid, if not all, would 

 have been driven off before they were eaten. 



The physical effects on the products treated at the rate of 4 ounces 

 of sodium cyanide per 100 cubic feet are noted in Table 3. 



