Slim Jim Explosion: How Harmful is Ammonia?

June 10th, 2009. By

  • About 80% of commercial-use ammonia is used in fertilizers; it also is used as a refrigerant gas, and in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, pesticides, detergents.
  • The odor threshold for ammonia is 5 ppm (parts per million-as in parts of a substance per million parts of air).
  • The OSHA legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 50 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
  • The NIOSH recommended airborne exposure limit is 25 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift and 35 ppm not to be exceeded during any 15-minute work period.
  • Eye irritation can occur at an airborne concentration of 20 ppm.
  • Contact with liquid ammonia can cause frostbite injury and potentially severe burns.
  • Severe inhalation exposure can lead to narrowing of the throat and swelling, causing upper airway obstruction and accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
  • Severe ammonia inhalation injury may suffer residual chronic lung disease.

    • (Sources: www.atsdr.cdc.gov, www.cdc.gov/niosh and http://nj.gov/health)

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    This was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 11:47 am and is filed under Personal Injury . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.

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