The Leuchter Report: Holocaust denial often asserts that
Zyklon B could not have been used
for killing in the gas chambers, because it is explosive, and the
furnaces were nearby.
They overlook, however the fact that the concentration of
HCN
necessary to cause death is nearly 200 times lower than that
necessary to cause an explosion. Although the SS used a
concentration higher than the lethal one, it was far less than what
would be required to cause an explosion.
As a reference, one can look at "The Merck Index" and the "CRC
handbook of Chemistry and Physics", or consult any manual dealing
with toxicity and flammability of chemicals. For
HCN, a
concentration of 300 ppm (parts per million) kills humans within a
few minutes (Merck, 632, entry 4688), while the minimal concentration
that can result in an explosion is 56,000 ppm.
Frank Deis provides the following information from Merck, with
editorial comments in [] brackets:
-Hydrocyanic acid;- "Blausaeure" (German). CHN; mol wt
27.03 ... HCN. Prepd on a large scale by the catalytic
oxidation of ammonia-methane mixtures [refs omitted]. May
also be prepd by the catalytic decompn of formamide.
Conveniently prepd in the laboratory by acidifying NaCN or
K4[Fe(CN)6]. [Editor's note: this last formula is quite
similar to, but different from
Prussian Blue, also a major
topic in the
Leuchter Report. Prussian Blue is Ferric
Ferrocyanide, or Ferric hexacyanoferrate (II). The formula
is Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3. The =ferric= salt of ferrocyanide is
insoluble in water. Other salts, such as the =potassium=
salt of ferrocyanide, are quite soluble in water] [more
refs omitted]
Colorless gas or liquid; characteristic odor; very weakly
acid (does not redden litmus); burns in air with a blue
flame; =intensely poisonous= even when mixed with air.
d(gas) 0.941 (air = 1) [Editor's note: notice, the gas is
LIGHTER than air]; d(liq) 0.687. mp -13.4. bp 25.6 <[
latest defense of Leuchter made a big deal out of how the
gas would condense out on the cold walls. This would
clearly happen to some extent in a cold room. If the room
were filled with people, the gas would stay warm] Miscible
with water, alc; slightly sol in ether. LC50 [lethal
concentration that kills 50% of test animals, NOTICE that
this is dependent BOTH on time and on concentration!] in
rats, mice, dogs: 544 ppm (5 min), 169 ppm (30 min), 300
ppm (15 min), [ref omitted].
Human toxicity: High concn produces tachypnea (causing
increased intake of cyanide) [tachy = rapid, pnea =
breathing] then dyspnea [dys = difficult, pnea =
breathing] paralysis, unconsciousness, convulsions, and
respiratory arrest. Headache, vertigo, nausea, and
vomiting may occur with lesser concentrations. Chronic
exposure over long periods may cause fatigue, weakness.
Exposure to 150 ppm for 1/2 to 1 hr may endanger life.
Death may result from a few min exposure to 300 ppm.
Average fatal dose [ingested] 50 to 60 mg. =Antidote=
Sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate.
Use: The compressed gas is used for exterminating rodents
and insects and for killing insects on trees, etc. =Must
be handled by specially trained experts.=
[end of article] (Merck, 632)
Cyanide is a small molecule. Basically it is toxic because it
resembles the oxygen molecule, O2 or OO looks like
HCN to the binding
sites in the mitochondria and also probably to the heme groups in
hemoglobin and myoglobin. If Cyanide "sits down" on the cytochrome
a/a3 complex at the end of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, then
the oxygen you breathe no longer does you any good. You can't use it
as an acceptor for high energy electrons, and you can't make ATP by
the usual method of oxidative phosphorylation. Your body makes you
breathe faster at first, in an attempt to overcome it, and then cells
start dying from lack of oxygen and lack of ATP energy.
In general, the statements about chemistry in Paul Grubach's defense
of the
Leuchter report seem valid. (
JHR,
V12, #4) The =premises= are
of course open to question, or wrong. Yes, high concentrations of
cyanide will cause formation of prussian blue on cold wet bricks that
contain high levels of iron ions. But were the bricks really cold
and wet? Was the air cold enough for the
HCN to condense? Did "high
concentrations" exist, given the relatively low concentrations
required for killing human subjects, as opposed to insects?
Anyway, I hope this information proves useful. I teach Biochemistry
at Rutgers University, and that's where my information about cyanide
toxicity comes from. The Merck Index is a standard reference book
that probably every library has. Frank Deis (DEIS@PISCES.RUTGERS.EDU)
The most current plaintext version of
Part One and
Part Two of this FAQ is available via
ftp.
Home ·
Site Map ·
What's New? ·
Search
Nizkor
© The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012
This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and
to combat hatred.
Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.
As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may
include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and
provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist
and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.
The Explosive Property of Zyklon B & Furnace Proximity