toxicity Workplace This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no implications for human or health & safety environmental health. Other processes using cyanides, such as electroplating or gold impacts recovery may cause exposure to cyanides. Population This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no implications for human or scale impacts environmental health but other uses of cyanide may cause such impacts. This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no Overview implications for human or environmental health. However, other uses of cyanide may result in its release to waterways. Acute ecotoxicity Extreme: Cyanides have high toxicity to animal species. Potential environment Chronic Low: Cyanides can exhibit chronic effect on aquatic organisms. impacts ecotoxicity Low: A number of environmental processes destroy cyanides so Persistence they cannot be regarded as persistent. Bioaccumulation Cyanides are not bioaccumulative. Where are the Generation Transport Storage Treatment Recovery Final disposal risks of impacts most likely? High Medium Medium Moderate N/A Low Has anything happened No incidents reported in recent years. before in Australia? Industry – systematic Past users were well-versed in safe handling of cyanides. controls What control Industry Since the process is no longer used in Australia there are no specific – measures are in exposure controls. Controls exist for other uses of cyanide such as in place to controls electroplating and gold recovery. manage risks posed by this Government Workplace regulatory levels are in place. waste? Community exposure to cyanide used in gold recovery can occur Community where cyanide is present in tailings that are discharged to tailings dams. 1 G.E. Totten, ed., Steel Heat Treatment: metallurgy and technologies (Boca Raton, Florida, 2007), 2nd ed. References 2. Cyanide information on handling, storage and first aid (2014): . – 3. S.P. Ayodeji, T.E. Aboye and S.O. Olanrewaju, Investigation of Surface Hardness of
toxicity Workplace health & safety impacts This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no implications for human or environmental health. Other processes using cyanides, such as electroplating or gold recovery may cause exposure to cyanides. Population scale impacts This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no implications for human or environmental health but other uses of cyanide may cause such impacts. Potential environment impacts Overview This process is no longer used in Australia so there are no implications for human or environmental health. However, other uses of cyanide may result in its release to waterways. Acute ecotoxicity Extreme: Cyanides have high toxicity to animal species. Chronic ecotoxicity Low: Cyanides can exhibit chronic effect on aquatic organisms. Persistence Low: A number of environmental processes destroy cyanides so they cannot be regarded as persistent. Bioaccumulation Cyanides are not bioaccumulative. Where are the risks of impacts most likely? Generation Transport Storage Treatment Recovery Final disposal High Medium Medium Moderate N/A Low Has anything happened before in Australia? No incidents reported in recent years. What control measures are in place to manage risks posed by this waste? Industry – systematic controls Past users were well-versed in safe handling of cyanides. Industry – exposure controls Since the process is no longer used in Australia there are no specific controls. Controls exist for other uses of cyanide such as in electroplating and gold recovery. Government Workplace regulatory levels are in place. Community Community exposure to cyanide used in gold recovery can occur where cyanide is present in tailings that are discharged to tailings dams. References 1 G.E. Totten, ed., Steel Heat Treatment: metallurgy and technologies (Boca Raton, Florida, 2007), 2nd ed. 2. Cyanide – information on handling, storage and first aid (2014): . 3. S.P. Ayodeji, T.E. Aboye and S.O. Olanrewaju, Investigation of Surface Hardness of