Indirect determination of cyanide in water by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry

An indirect method for determination of trace cyanide in water by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry is described. Cyanide forms a stable complex anion with Pd in alkaline solution. This complex anion can form an ion-association complex with tetra-alkylammonium ions which can be extracted into n-butyl alcohol with an efficiency higher than 90%. The extract can be analysed directly for palladium (and hence indirectly for cyanide) by flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The detection limit for cyanide by this method is 0.1 mug ml in the n-butyl alcohol extract. Beer's law is obeyed for 0.13-9 mug of CN(-) per ml of n-butyl alcohol. Several foreign ions do not interfere.