Chemical behaviour

The general term `cyanide` refers to various compounds which belong to the CN chemical element. Several plants, some soil bacteria produce natural cyanide and related compounds. Because cyanide is carbon based—an organic compound—it reacts readily with other carbon-based substances; including living organisms. Despite this complexity, regulators generally require that mine operators monitor for only three categories of cyanide: free cyanide, weak-acid-dissociable (WAD) cyanide, and total cyanide.