September 2002 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Ammonia |
(Amoníaco) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about ammonia. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Ammonia is a gas
that occurs naturally in the environment and is also manmade.
Liquid ammonia is found in many household cleaners. Ammonia
is irritating to the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
Exposure to high concentrations can cause serious burns.
Ammonia has been found in at least 134 of the 1,613 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
is ammonia? |
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a very
sharp odor. It is made both by humans and by nature. It dissolves
easily in water and evaporates quickly. It is commonly sold
in liquid forms.
The amount of ammonia produced by humans
every year is almost equal to that produced by nature every
year. Ammonia is produced naturally in soil by bacteria, decaying
plants and animals, and animal wastes. Ammonia is essential
for many biological processes.
Most of the ammonia produced in chemical
factories is used to make fertilizers. The remaining is used
in textiles, plastics, explosives, pulp and paper production,
food and beverages, household cleaning products , refrigerants,
and other products. It is also used in smelling salts.
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What
happens to ammonia when it enters the environment? |
- Because ammonia occurs naturally, it is found throughout
the environment in soil, air, and water.
- Most of the ammonia in water changes to ammonium, an odorless
liquid. Ammonia and ammonium can change back and forth in
water.
- Ammonia is recycled naturally in the environment as part
of the nitrogen cycle. It does not last very long in the
environment.
- Plants and bacteria rapidly take up ammonia from soil
and water.
- Some ammonia in water and soil is changed to nitrate and
nitrite by bacteria.
- Ammonia released to air is rapidly removed by rain or
snow or by reactions with other chemicals.
- Ammonia does not build up in the food chain, but serves
as a nutrient source for plants and bacteria.
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How
might I be exposed to ammonia? |
- Everybody is regularly exposed to low levels of ammonia
in air, food, soil, and water.
- Ammonia has a strong irritating odor that people can easily
smell before it may cause harm.
- If you use ammonia cleaning products at home, you will
be exposed to ammonia released to the air and through contact
with your skin.
- If you apply ammonia fertilizers or live near farms where
these fertilizers have been applied, you can breath ammonia
released to the air.
- You may be exposed to ammonia from leaks and spills from
production plants, storage facilities, pipelines, tank trucks,
and rail cars.
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How
can ammonia affect my health? |
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia
in the air may cause severe burns in your skin, eyes, throat,
and lungs. In extreme cases, blindness, lung damage, or death
could occur. Breathing lower concentrations will cause coughing
and nose and throat irritation.
If you swallow ammonia, you could suffer
burns in your mouth, throat, and stomach. Concentrated ammonia
spilled on the skin will cause burns. Animal studies show
effects similar to those observed in people. We do not know
if ammonia affects reproduction in humans.
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How
likely is ammonia to cause cancer? |
We do not know whether ammonia can cause
cancer in humans or in laboratory animals. The Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have not classified
ammonia for carcinogenicity.
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How
can ammonia affect children? |
Children are less likely to be exposed
to concentrated ammonia because most exposures of that kind
occur in occupational settings. Children can still be exposed
the same way as adults to ammonia gas from spills or leaks
from ammonia tanks or pipelines, especially on farms where
it is used as a fertilizer. Children can also be exposed to
dilute ammonia solutions from household cleaners containing
ammonia.
The effects of ammonia on children are
likely to be the same as for adults. We do not know if exposure
to ammonia causes birth defects, or if it can pass to the
fetus across the placenta or to infants via breast milk.
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How
can families reduce the risk of exposure to ammonia? |
- Keep products containing ammonia out of the reach of children.
- Maintain adequate room ventilation when using cleaners
containing ammonia and wear proper clothing and eye protection.
- Prevent children from entering a room where ammonia is
being used.
- Never store cleaning solutions in containers that may
be attractive to children, such as soda bottles.
- Avoid entering fields when ammonia fertilizers is being
applied.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to ammonia? |
There are tests that can detect ammonia
in blood and urine. However, these tests cannot definitely
determine if you have been exposed because ammonia is normally
found in the body.
If you were exposed to harmful amounts
of ammonia you would notice it immediately because of the
strong, unpleasant smell and strong taste. Your skin, eyes,
nose, and throat would also be irritated.
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Has
the federal government made recommendations to protect human
health? |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a limit of 25 parts of ammonia per million
parts of air (25 ppm) in the workplace during an 8-hour shift
and a short-term limit (15 minutes) of 35 ppm.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 2002. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Ammonia. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 2002. Toxicological
Profile for ammonia. Draft for Public Comment.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
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Where can I get
more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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