Context: Two persons died and several took ill in a major ammonia gas leakage at a fertilizers unit at Prayagraj.
About Ammonia

• Ammonia is critical in the manufacturing of fertilizers and is one of the largest-volume synthetic chemicals produced in the world.
• More than 80 per cent of ammonia made is consumed in the manufacturing of fertilizer, and most of the remainder goes into the production of formaldehyde.
• A tri-hydroid of nitrogen (NH3), ammonia is a building block for ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) that is used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Why is it harmful?

• According to experts in Chemistry, ammonia is stored for industrial use in liquid form under high pressure or in gaseous form at low temperature.
• In such cases, the cause of death is always suffocation as in the case of Prayagraj incident, the victims must have been very close to the point of a gas leak.

Effects on the human body

• Ammonia, even in moderate concentration, can cause irritation to eyes, skin, nose and throat.
• It interacts immediately upon contact with moisture present in the skin, eyes, oral cavity, and respiratory tract to form ammonium hydroxide.
• It is very caustic and disrupts the cell membrane lipids, ultimately leading to cellular destruction.
• As cell proteins break down, water is extracted, resulting in an inflammatory response that causes further damage.

Secretion in humans

• Ammonia, which is highly soluble in water, is found in soil, air, and water; it is naturally present in the body.
• It is secreted by the kidneys to neutralize excess acid.
• However, it is highly diluted when in the environment and does not affect the human body to a noticeable level.