﻿14 



BULLETIN 114!>, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The quantity of sodium cyanide used had a marked effect on the 

 hydrocyanic acid absorbed by the product. This effect was noticeable 

 after storage for 3 months. 



MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS. 



In the work of the Department of Agriculture it has at times seemed 

 desirable to fumigate certain other material with hydrocyanic acid. 

 These products have been analyzed, with a view of determining their 

 safety for use after fumigation. The results are shown in Table 9. 



Table 9. — Residual hydrocyanic acid in miscellaneous products after fumigation. 



Product. 



Beans, Brazilian. 



Beans, Dwarf 



Cotton seed, Columbia: 



Whole seed 



Hulls 



Meat s 



Whole seed 



Hulls 



Meats 



Cotton seed, Sea Island: 



Whole seed 



Hulls 



Meats 



Cotton seed, Trice: 



Whole seed 



Hulls 



Meats 



Whole seed 



Hulls 



Meats 



Cottonseed cake: 



Do 



Do 



Do 



Cowpeas, Groit 



Chestnuts: 



Whole.. 



Shells 



Meats 



Honey: 



Capped. 



Uncapped . 

 Capped — 

 Uncapped. 



.Period 

 after 



fumiga- 

 tion. 



Dans. 

 (») 



Sodium 

 cyanide. 



Ex- 

 posure. 



Pressure. 

 Vac. 2 



Oz. per 

 100 cu.ft. 



1 



Hi > u,ra. 



1 



i; 



Vac. 



3 

 3 

 3 

 6 

 

 6 



a 



3. 

 l 



Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 



3 

 3 

 3 



3 



I 



Vac. 

 Vac. 



Vac. 



3 



3 

 3 

 6 

 6 

 6 



3 



i 



3 



Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 

 Vac. 



2 



I 



1 

 1 

 1 

 11 



NAP » 

 NAP 

 NAP 

 Vac. ; 







( 4 ) 



to 

 W 



4 

 4 

 4 

 4 



1 

 I 

 1 

 1 



NAP 

 NAP ! 

 NAP 

 NAP 



Hydro- 

 cyanic 

 acid. 



Parts per 

 million. 



Less than 

 4. 



5 



58 

 110 

 None. 

 S3 

 140 

 None. 



150 

 None. 



60 

 140 

 None. 

 83 

 150 

 None. 



8 



6 



5 



66 



14i) 



ISO 

 130 



Trace. 



9 



None. 



1 Several. 



J Vacuum fumigation by the method of Sasscer and Hawkins. 



3 Fumigation at normal atmospheric pressure. 



* Unknown. 



The hulls of the cotton seed and the shells of the chestnut absorb 

 a large quantity of hydrocyanic acid. Unfumigated cottonseed hulls 

 showed the presence of no hydrocyanic acid. Checks on the chest- 

 nuts were not available, but it does not seem possible that they would 

 naturally contain such a large quantity. Hard rinds on fruits and 

 vegetables tended to prevent absorption of the gas. No explanation 

 is offered for this difference in behavior. 



The absorption of hydrocyanic acid by uncapped honey was un- 

 expectedly low. This was also surprising, in view of the fact that 

 moist foods have a tendency to absorb the acid fairly rapidly. 



