Anhydrous Ammonia

1
Anhydrous Ammonia

• David W. Smith
• Extension Safety Program
• Texas Cooperative Extension

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What is Anhydrous Ammonia?

• Dry or pure undiluted ammonia
• Colorless gas at normal pressure and temperature
• Stored as a liquid under pressure
• When pressure is released, the liquid evaporates
  forming an invisible gas with a strong, pungent
  odor
• Human exposure can result in injury and death
• Injected into the soil as a fertilizer

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Health Effects

• Vapors can cause severe burns to the outer
  tissues of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs
• Direct contact with liquid can cause severe
  freeze burns to the skin
• Detectible by the nose at low concentrations
• At large concentrations, vapor can cause
  convulsions, coughing, and difficult and painful
  breathing
• Prolonged exposure can cause suffocation

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Eye Injuries

• Most serious hazard of ammonia exposure
• If exposed, wash eyes immediately with water
• Can cause permanent injury and blindness
• Never wear contact if the possibility of exposure
  exists
• Always wear goggles when handling anhydrous
  ammonia

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Skin Damage

• Ammonia is caustic to the skin
• Skin burns and blisters may develop from a 2
  percent ammonia solution for 15 minutes or longer
• Contact with liquid ammonia causes the water in
  the skin to freeze and rupture the cells as it
  expands
• These wounds can be deep and slow healing

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First Aid Inhalation

• Immediately get to an uncontaminated area
• Get medical assistance if the victim has chest or
  breathing problems, or a persisting cough
• If exposure is severe, immediately call a
  physician
• If available, administer oxygen to relieve pain
  and symptoms
• If the victim is not breathing, start artificial
  respiration immediately. Keep the victim warm
  and at rest

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First Aid Eye Contact

• Flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes.
  Even a small amount of ammonia in the eyes can
  cause damage.
• Flush the entire eye surface and inner lining of
  the eyelids. Because the eyelids close
  voluntarily, hold the eyelids open while
  flushing.
• If available, use a squeeze-type water bottle
  that will squirt water into the eyes

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First Aid Eye Contact

• If medical help is not available after 15
  minutes, continue flushing until you get medical
  attention.
• Another emergency eye flushing method is to duck
  your head in a bucket of clean water, and blink
  and move eyes around.

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First Aid Skin Contact

• Any portion of your body which is splashed with
  or exposed to anhydrous ammonia should be flushed
  with water
• If your clothes become saturated by liquid
  ammonia, they will probably freeze to your skin.
• Get under a deluge shower or other source of
  water immediately.
• Do not apply salves or ointments to ammonia
  burns. Get medical attention as soon as possible.

10
First Aid Swallowing

• Call a doctor immediately
• If the victim is conscious, he or she should
  swallow large amounts of water
• If vomiting begins, place the victim face down
  with the head lower than the hips to prevent it
  from entering the lungs
• If the victim is in shock or extreme pain, or is
  unconscious, do not try to give him or her water
  or induce vomiting

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Personal Safety Equipment

• Goggles
• Gas-proof goggles provide the greatest level of
  protection
• Ammonia gas can dissolve in the tears and
  penetrate the eye surface
• When there is a splash risk, a full-face shield
  should be worn
• Gloves
• Rubber or polyethylene are ammonia resistant
• Decontaminate gloves with water before you remove
  them

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Personal Safety Equipment

• Boots and Slicker
• Wear them when you clean up a spill or when there
  is a likelihood of contacting anhydrous ammonia
• Decontaminate with water before removing garments
• Respirator
• Wear when exposed to anhydrous ammonia leaks,
  spills, or releases
• Make sure face pieces fit tightly
• Check respirator for leaks around the edges

13
Handling and Storage

• Containers should never be subject to rough
  handling or to mechanical shock such as dropping
  or bumping
• Use proper handling equipment suitable for
  platforms, boats, or cradles for unloading by
  cranes
• Use hand trucks, roll platforms, fork trucks, or
  similar devices with the container securely
  fastened to transport them.

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Handling and Storage

• Avoid dragging, sliding, or rolling them on the
  bottom edges as much as possible
• Rack, block, or otherwise secure containers so
  that they are stored and used in a stable manner
• Dont store containers near a potential heat
  source, such as flammable substances in direct
  sunlight
• Containers should never reach a temperature above
  125 degrees Fahrenheit

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Handling and Storage

• Do not remove valve protection until you are
  ready to withdraw ammonia from the container
• For empty containers, securely cap the opening,
  and mark or fasten an EMPTY tag on it. Store
  empty containers away from full containers.
• Always keep at least 5 gallons of clean water
  near anhydrous storage and handling facilities in
  case of emergency

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Theft Potential

• Anhydrous ammonia is a key ingredient in the
  production of methamphetamine
• Illegal drug dealers steal it from agricultural
  retail establishments and farms where it is
  stored
• It only takes 5 gallons of anhydrous ammonia to
  produce 10 to 15 pounds of methamphetamine

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Theft Potential

• Criminals prefer to steal ammonia in small
  quantities, using small containers, to avoid
  tipping off a convenient source
• Theft tends to occur in waves, with thieves
  striking the same location several times
• Sources of anhydrous ammonia include
• Refrigeration systems
• Above-ground tanks on farms and dealerships

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Cause for Suspicion

• Customer wants to buy AA in small quantities
• Customer cannot answer or is evasive about how
  the chemical will be used in agriculture
• Customer insists on paying with cash, money order
  or cashiers check
• Customer is a stranger to you and unfamiliar with
  the area or your business

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Cause for Suspicion

• Customer provides suspicious business or credit
  information
• Customer is vague about or resists providing
  personal information
• Customer intends to fill his or her own
  inappropriate tank (e.g., a 20-pound propane
  cylinder)

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Signs of Theft

• Loose valves on storage tanks
• Footprints or tire tracks leading up to the
  storage tank
• Items left around the storage tank including
• Duct tape
• Bicycle inner tubes
• Coolers
• Garden hoses or plastic tubing
• Propane tanks

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February 2000

• Approximately 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia
  were released when someone intentionally opened a
  valve in the middle of the night at a fertilizer
  dealer in Missouri. Three hundred residents had
  to be evacuated from their homes and two people
  were reported respiratory problems. Ammonia theft
  has been almost a weekly occurrence at this
  facility. A law enforcement investigation is
  underway. Source EPA

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May 1999

• One person was killed when a makeshift container
  of anhydrous ammonia he was holding exploded. The
  ammonia was to be used for methamphetamine
  production. The death occurred while the victim
  and another person were driving on an interstate
  highway in Missouri. The driver was severely
  injured. A firefighter, an emergency medical
  technician and a bystander who had stopped to
  help and did not know the source of the smoke
  were also injured by the ammonia vapors. Source
  EPA

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February 1996

• Workers were transferring anhydrous ammonia from
  a railroad tank car into a bulk tank when a tank
  line was ruptured causing a noxious gas leak.
  Nearly all 1,800 residents in the nearby town
  were evacuated. Five people, including one
  firefighter, were hospitalized. About 25 others
  were injured. The victims complained of chest
  pains, respiratory problems, nausea and vomiting.
  Source CNN US News Briefs

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Agricultural Dealer Safety Tips

• Educate your employees about the potential for
  theft
• Store tanks in well-lit areas
• Keep a current inventory so you can identify
  missing chemicals quickly
• Inspect tanks each morning, especially following
  weekends and other periods when the facility was
  not occupied

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Agricultural Dealer Safety Tips

• Have a plan to protect critical valves that could
  release anhydrous ammonia if left open
• Install valve locks or fencing, especially for
  unattended tanks
• Report thefts, signs of tampering, leaks, or any
  unusual activity to law enforcement immediately

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Agricultural Dealer Safety Tips

• Install motion detector lights, alarms, or video
  surveillance
• Establish regular security patrols
• Remove hoses from storage tanks during the
  off-season and store them separately from the
  tanks

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Texas House Bill 2005

• Makes it a state felony to
• Possess anhydrous ammonia in a container not
  designed to hold it
• Transport anhydrous ammonia in a container not
  designed to transport it
• Use, deliver or sell a container or receptacle
  designed and manufactured to hold anhydrous
  ammonia without the consent of the containers
  owner
• Tamper with equipment manufactured and used to
  hold, apply or transport anhydrous ammonia
  without the consent of the equipments owner

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Farmer Safety Tips

• Have tanks delivered as close to the time of
  application as possible and remove tanks
  immediately when the application is finished
• Purchase locking devices for tank valves when you
  obtain the tank
• Locate tanks in well-lit, secure areas where they
  are visible from your house and where valves are
  clearly visible

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Farmer Safety Tips

• Bleed and remove hoses when not in use
• Check tanks regularly for signs of tampering and
  for other tell-tale signs of illegal activity
• Block or barricade roads and lanes leading to the
  tank
• Post No Trespassing signs on barricades
• Make sure all tanks are labeled with signs that
  warn of hazardous chemicals

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Farmer Safety Tips

• Erect a fence or other barrier around the tank,
  with clearly visible warning signs
• Place brightly colored plastic wire ties or seals
  between the valve wheel and the roll cage. Check
  regularly to see if they have been broken
• If you discover someone near the tank, do not
  confront the person. Contact law enforcement.
• Do not disturb a crime scene

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Accident Liability

• You could be sued by thieves who are injured in
  the process of stealing your anhydrous ammonia
• In such cases, you must demonstrate that you took
  reasonable precautions to restrict access
• Make sure all storage containers are clearly
  marked with warning decals
• Restrict access using fences and barricades

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Methamphetamine Labs

• Frequently set up in remote, wooded areas on
  large farms
• Labs often small and mobile
• Signs include
• Smell of ether
• 5-gallon chemical cans and propane tanks
• Empty bottles or other containers
• Unusual tracks and attempts to conceal them

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If you find a meth lab

• Contact law enforcement immediately
• Do not disturb the scene or remove any of the
  items
• Cleanup must be done by specially trained people
  wearing head-to-toe protective suits and
  respirators