This International Standard is applicable to as-received soil samples, and specifies two quantification methods for the determination of easily released and complex cyanides. It is not always necessary to determine easily
released cyanide prior to the measurement of complex cyanide. In this instance, the first part of the distillation process is omitted so that only the total cyanide is determined. The methods are applicable to soil containing between 0,5 mg/kg and 10 000 mg/kg of total cyanide. The methods and corresponding ranges of cyanide in the aliquot taken from the relevant absorption solution are as follows:
a) photometric method:
This method is applicable for cyanide contents of 0,5 mg/kg to 50 mg/kg in the original field-moist sample.
b) titrimetric method using an indicator:
This method is applicable for cyanide contents of above 50 mg/kg in the original field-moist sample.