Spectrophotometric Analysis of the Cyanide Metabolite 2-Aminothiazoline-4-Carboxylic Acid (ATCA)

Methods of directly evaluating cyanide levels are limited by the volatility of cyanide and by the difficulty of establishing steady-state cyanide levels with time. We investigated the measurement of a stable, toxic metabolite, 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA), in an attempt to circumvent the challenge of directly determining cyanide concentrations in aqueous media. This study was focused on the spectrophotometric ATCA determination in the presence of cyanide, thiocyanate (SCN−), cysteine, rhodanese, thiosulfate, and other sulfur donors. The method involves a thiazolidine ring opening in the presence of p-(hydroxy-mercuri)-benzoate, followed by the reaction with diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone). The product is spectrophotometrically analyzed at 625 nm in carbon tetrachloride. The calibration curve was linear with a regression line of Y = 0.0022x (R2 = 0.9971). Interference of cyanide antidotes with the method was determined. Cyanide, thiosulfate, butanethiosulfonate (BTS), and rhodanese did not appreciably interfere with the analysis, but SCN− and cysteine significantly shifted the standard curve. This sensitive spectrophotometric method has shown promise as a substitute for the measurement of the less stable cyanide.