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Ammonia is a chemical compound used in many consumer and commercial products, including cleaners and fertilizers. It is dangerous and can cause burning, fainting, or death. It is produced artificially and is lighter than air, making it safer than other hazardous gases. Ammonia is used to etch metals, refrigerate cells, and fertilize crops. It was once used to revive people who passed out, but caution should always be used when handling this chemical.
Ammonia is a chemical compound made up of one nitrogen atom and three closely bonded hydrogen atoms, giving it the chemical symbol NH3. It can take the form of a strong-smelling liquid or gas. Many consumer and commercial products contain this alkaline substance, including many products used to clean dirt or fertilize crops. This chemical is dangerous and, even in low concentrations, inhaling or getting the solution on the skin can cause burning, fainting or possible death. Caution should always be used when handling this chemical.
Production
A small amount of ammonia is formed when organic matter decomposes, so the gas can be found naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. Most of the ammonia used is produced by artificial means, however, by forcibly bonding nitrogen and hydrogen atoms together. Then the gas can be pressurized to form a liquid for easy distribution to manufacturing facilities.
Advantages
As a gas, this substance is lighter than air, so it doesn’t accumulate indoors like other hazardous gases, such as propane. Although ammonia has a distinctive, pungent odor, it is clear and difficult to ignite unless highly concentrated. This makes it safer than other household chemicals because most people will recognize the smell and avoid touching the chemical or inhaling its fumes.
it is used
Ammonia is easily incorporated into water as a solution, so it is used in many cleaners. Window sprays, oven cleaning foams, toilet bowl cleaners, wax removers and other household cleaners often contain 5 to 10 percent ammonia. Some types of cleaners should never be mixed. For example, ammonia and bleach form a very dangerous gas, called chloramine, which shouldn’t be inhaled.
Commercial cleaners, which often contain 25 to 30 percent ammonia, are extremely dangerous because they are highly corrosive. Under careful supervision, liquid ammonia is also used to etch metals such as aluminum and copper, to refrigerate cells or trucks, and to dissolve other elements in chemistry laboratories. Most of the ammonia produced goes to fertilizing crops by supplying absorbable nitrogen to the plants. Manufacturers of plastics, pesticides and dyes also use the liquid at some point in their synthesis processes.
At one time, cotton balls were often soaked in ammonia and sealed inside bottles. People who passed out were revived with a whiff of the strong smell. This was generally safe, as long as it wasn’t done frequently.
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