You may be exposed to ammonia by breathing or ingesting the substance, or by skin or eye contact with it. In order for it to cause any adverse health effects you must come into contact with it. The presence of ammonia in the environment does not always lead to exposure. How exposure to ammonia could affect your health Exposure to ammonia from the environment is not considered to pose a risk to human health. Such levels are below those that are thought to cause harmful effects.Īmmonia is produced from the natural breakdown of organic matter and so exposure to ammonia will occur at very low levels throughout the environment. Inappropriate mixing of cleaning products such as sodium hypochlorite and ammonia based solutions may result in exposure to toxic gasses.Įxposure may occur in the workplace although safe limits are enforced to protect the employees. In the home, exposure may occur from certain cleaning agents and dyes however exposure is likely to be minimal if the products are used appropriately. It is also produced naturally in the human body by gut bacteria as they break down food. Exposure to ammoniaĪmmonia is found in very small amounts in some foods, including vegetables and dairy products. Non-agricultural sources include sewage sludge, industry, and petrol vehicles fitted with catalytic converters.Īmmonia gas does not remain in the environment for long it rapidly reacts to form ammonium compounds. Local concentrations may be elevated where there is a lot of animal waste, such as in intensive farming environments for cattle, pig and chickens. It occurs naturally at low levels throughout the environment, released from the breakdown of organic waste matter. How ammonia gets into the environmentĪmmonia in the environment comes from both natural and manmade sources. In the home, ammonia is used in certain cleaning products and garden fertilisers. There are many uses for ammonia including the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes, explosives and pharmaceuticals. This reaction is known as the Haber-Bosch process.

Ammonia gas is produced industrially by reacting hydrogen and nitrogen at high temperature and pressure. Uses of ammoniaĪmmonia is a very important industrial chemical. Solutions of ammonia are alkali and can be corrosive when concentrated.Īmmonia solution may also be called ammonium hydroxide and aqueous ammonia. Ammonia gas is non-flammable, but because at certain concentrations when mixed with air it could explode if ignited, it is treated as flammable. Ammonia has a strong smell, similar to urine, which can be detected by most people even in small amounts. Ammonia is a colourless, reactive gas that is lighter than air (approximately half as heavy) which dissolves readily in water.

Ammonia piping installation design