Ammonia gas is an element that is made up of nitrogen and hydrogen, by using the formula chemically NH3. It is a colourless gas that can be identified by its smell as it has an intense smell. Ammonia gas is used in the production of fertilizers and refrigerants however you're likely to detect it before it causes harm to your health. The risk ammonia gas has is dependent on the amount of gas present and the duration of exposure you've endured. Read more here: https://www.blacklinesafety.com/solutions/gas-sensors/nh3
Gas Characteristics
Colorless
State of the gas
Compressed
Toxic
Flammable
Corrosive
Lighter than air
Water soluble
Explosive (at high concentrations and in tight space)
Pungent, suffocating odor
Can decompose at high temperatures forming very flammable hydrogen gas
OTHER NAMES: Anhydrous ammonia, ammonia, azane, hydrogen nitride
Industrial NH3 hazards
farms: The compost piles that are located on mushroom farms release ammonia gas. Manure pits, as as any enclosed or indoor space where animals from farms are kept may be sources Ammonia gas.
Refrigeration System Ice skating rinks as well as manufacturing facilities to make ice utilize liquid ammonia. In the event it spills, it turns into an gas.
Fertilizers and Cleaners Liquid Ammonia is usually mixed with a variety of other chemicals.
Some manufacturing procedures also utilize ammonia
It is possible to be exposed to ammonia using products for cleaning that contain ammonia
Other occupational exposure sources are reflection mirrors' silvering the production of glue, tanning leather and around nitriding furnaces
Ammonia is produced as an end-product of coal distillation as well as by the steam action on calcium cyanamide as well as through the decomposition of nitrogenous substances
Ammonia naturally is found naturally in soybean (8,600 ppm) and in the seeds of the evening primrose (2,300-2,455 ppm) and lambsquarter and the leaves of tobacco (Duke 1992).
The leaks of ammonia are growing because of the increased use of natural refrigerants in preference to alternative fluorinated gases.
(Process Equipment & Control News)
High Risk Scenarios
Ammonia levels are typically higher in colder than warmer ones.
In a closed area, ammonia could explode when the ignition source is there
In the absence of accidental releases of ammonia the chance of exposure to very high levels of ammonia is the highest in restricted space entry
Technically speaking an employee is thrown off the edge of an opening, they are actually entering the enclosed area. If ammonia is present, workers should be aware that confined spaces could pose a risk for their health.
In the instance of a leak or CSE procedure It is a mistake to think that the odor of ammonia is a sufficient warning to alert