Safety
Potassium ferricyanide has very low toxicity, its main hazard being that it is a mild irritant to the eyes and skin. However, under very strongly acidic conditions, highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas is evolved, according to the equation:
- 6 H+ + 3− → 6 HCN + Fe3+
The reaction with hydrochloric acid is as follows:
- 6 HCl + K3 → 6 HCN + FeCl3 + 3 KCl
Read more about this topic: Potassium Ferricyanide
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