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Analysis of cyanides in coke plant wastewater effluents

Journal Article · · J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5116809

Experimental results are presented comparing various methods for the analysis of simple and complex cyanide in coke plant wastewaters. Analyses were performed on synthetic solutions containing various combinations of CN/sup -/, Fe(CN)/sub 6//sup -3/, and SCN/sup -/. Additional analyses were performed on actual coking plant wastewaters with and without standard addition. The results indicate that simple and complex cyanides in these wastewaters cannot be reliably measured by either the ''Standard Methods'' or the ASTM procedures owing to the interference of sulfides produced by the decomposition of thiocyanates during the distillation step. A simple modification is demonstrated to remove sulfide interference by treating the distillate with cadmium carbonate. Additionally, the distillation procedure employing Cu/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ as the catalyst is shown to give consistently lower results than the MgCl/sub 2/ procedure owing to air oxidation of Cu/sup 1 +/ to Cu/sup 2 +/ during distillation. A simple experimental modification is demonstrated which increases the recovery of cyanide when the Cu/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ distillation procedure is employed.

Research Organization:
Envirodyne Engineers, Inc., St. Louis
OSTI ID:
5116809
Journal Information:
J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States) Vol. 50:2; ISSN JWPFA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English