Ammonia forms shock sensitive compounds with mercury, silver, and gold oxides. Ammonia reacts violently with strong oxidants, acids, halogens, and many heavy metals. Ammonia is corrosive to copper and galvanized surfaces. When ammonia is heated to decomposition, it emits toxic fumes and nitrogen oxides.
Liquid ammonia will attack some forms of plastics, rubber, and coatings. Containers may explode when heated. Ruptured cylinders may rocket. Never direct water jet straight at liquid ammonia. For small fires use dry chemical or carbon dioxide.
For large fires use water spray, fog, or regular foam. Move containers from the fire area if possible to do so without risk to personnel. Do not get water inside containers. Damaged cylinders should be handled by a specialist only. For fire involving tanks, fight fire from a maximum distance or use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles. Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.
Do not direct water at source of leak or safety device; icing may occur. Withdraw immediately in case of rising sound from venting safety device or discoloration of tank. Always stay away from tanks engulfed in fire. Run-off from fire control may cause pollution. If the situation allows, control and properly dispose of run-off effluent. Then protect persons downwind during the day: 0.
Then protect persons downwind during the night: 0. Then protect persons downwind during the night: 1. In the DOT ERG orange-bordered section of the guidebook, there are public safety recommendations to immediately isolate an ammonia Guide spill or leak area for at least ft m in all directions.
In the DOT ERG orange-bordered section of the guidebook, there are public safety recommendations to immediately isolate an ammonia Guide spill or leak area for at least ft 50 m for liquids and 75 ft 25 m for solids in all directions. However, under certain conditions, when compressed liquified ammonia gas initially escapes a cylinder and comes into contact with moisture in the air it will form an ammonia fog.
This fog is likeley to remain low to the ground, and could prevent ammonia gas from rising in the air. Dangerous concentrations of ammonia gas will occur quickly in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. Some respiratory symptoms may be delayed in onset.
It reacts with the moisture in the moist linings of body passages and cavities mucous membranes to produce an alkaline solution, ammonium hydroxide. The extent of injury produced by exposure to ammonia depends on the duration of the exposure and the concentration of the gas or liquid. Severe: Severe corrosive eye injury, inflammation of the membranes of the eye conjunctivitis , tear production lacrimation , swelling and sloughing of the surface cells of the eye, and temporary or permanent blindness.
Severe: Swelling of lips, mouth, and voice box larynx , severe corrosive damage or burns of mouth, throat and stomach. Ingestion does not normally result in whole-body systemic toxicity. Severe: Swelling of the lips, mouth, and voice box larynx and severe corrosive damage or burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach.
Severe: Pain, inflammation, blistering vesication , tissue death necrosis , and deep penetrating burns, especially on moist skin areas. Exposure to liquefied ammonia gas may cause frostbite injury and possibly severe burns with more localized deep tissue damage ulcerations.
Care should be taken during decontamination, because absorbed agent can be released from clothing and skin as a gas. Your Incident Commander will provide you with decontaminants specific for the agent released or the agent believed to have been released. The warm zone should include two decontamination corridors. One decontamination corridor is used to enter the warm zone and the other for exiting the warm zone into the cold zone. The decontamination zone for exiting should be upwind and uphill from the zone used to enter.
Decontamination area workers should wear appropriate PPE. See the PPE section of this card for detailed information. A solution of detergent and water which should have a pH value of at least 8 but should not exceed a pH value of Soft brushes should be available to remove contamination from the PPE. Labeled, durable 6-mil polyethylene bags should be available for disposal of contaminated PPE.
Always move in a downward motion from head to toe. Make sure to get into all areas, especially folds in the clothing. Wash and rinse using cold or warm water until the contaminant is thoroughly removed. Place all PPE in labeled durable 6-mil polyethylene bags. Keep two rainsuits or slickers and gas masks with an ammonia canister filter available for emergency work. The protection from a canister filter is limited and you should only use it in low concentrations of ammonia.
When a serious leak occurs, call your local fire department for assistance. Firefighters have the proper training and equipment - including a self-contained breathing apparatus and protective suit to deal with major ammonia leaks where high concentrations of ammonia are probably present. The operator's manual for anhydrous ammonia equipment should include instructions on proper procedures and protective equipment to use when handling ammonia.
Review this information before operating the equipment. Regulations require that all farm vehicles used for anhydrous ammonia carry a container filled with at least 5 gallons of water. This water must be readily available for flushing the eyes and skin in case of exposure. You should change the water daily to ensure you have a clean supply. Safety specialists recommend you keep a second 5-gallon container of water on the tractor.
This provides another source of water for first aid in case the tractor operator is unable to reach the water container on the nurse or applicator tank. You should also carry a 6- to 8-ounce, water-filled plastic eye wash bottle in your shirt pocket. It provides an immediate supply of water if an accident does occur. The objective of the eye wash bottle is to get the excess ammonia out of the eyes in the first few seconds until you or the victim can get to the larger water supply to continue flushing.
When a victim has been exposed to anhydrous ammonia, move him or her to a safe place and flush the exposed area immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes. Remove contaminated clothing as soon as you have thawed them out. Remember, the sub-zero temperature of anhydrous ammonia can freeze exposed clothing to skin below it.
If you remove clothing before you thaw it with rinse water, extensive skin damage can result. Do not apply salves, creams or ointments. They won't stop the damaging action to skin. Contact a doctor immediately after emergency first aid treatment. Even if small amounts of ammonia enter the eyes, irrigate them immediately with water for 15 minutes or more. Hold the eyelids open during irrigation to ensure water contacts all parts of the eye.
Immediate first aid is important to avoid partial or total loss of vision. Again, consult a doctor after giving emergency first aid. Ammonia vapors are easily detected because of their pungent odor, even in low concentrations.
Inhaling ammonia can irritate the respiratory tract and lungs. At high concentrations, ammonia combined with the moisture in the lungs may damage the lung lining and reduce the lungs' ability to transfer oxygen to the bloodstream.
When a person has inhaled ammonia, move them to a safe area. Exposures to low concentrations of ammonia for a short period of time may not require treatment. Exposure to higher concentrations may cause convulsive coughing and respiratory spasms. Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the victim is not breathing. Obtain medical help as soon as possible. In case ammonia has been swallowed, contact a doctor immediately. Have the victim, if conscious and able, drink large amounts of water to dilute the chemical.
Do not induce vomiting if the victim is in shock or unconscious. If vomiting occurs, keep the head lower than the hips to prevent vomitus from entering the lungs. All containers used for storing ammonia must be painted white or silver. Light colors reflect heat and this helps keep the temperature and pressure down inside the tank during warm weather.
Daily inspection. Each day give the tank and hoses a brief inspection. Look for problems with:. Hoses - Check for cuts, soft spots, bulges, kinking, flattening or slipping at the coupler. Tires - Inspect for proper inflation, cuts, weathering, wear and tightness of lug bolts on wheels. Each time you fill the nurse tank, check the liquid level gauge and pressure gauge.
The gauges should be working properly and be consistent in their readings. Don't use nurse tanks with faulty gauges.
To repair or replace faulty gauges, the tank must be emptied and the tank pressure dropped to zero before faulty parts can be removed. Immediate repair. Several situations are cause for immediate repair or replacement.
Any leak in a liquid or vapor shut-off valve calls for repair or replacement of the valve. If an accident causes a dent, gouge, crack or other damage to the tank that might result in failure, inspect the tank, and if necessary, repair it before placing it back into service. A certified welder must make any welding repairs on the tank and the welds must be hydrostatically tested to ASME standards.
An overturned tank or collision between the tank and other farm machinery are examples of causes for inspection. Annual inspection. At least once a year, inspect these items carefully and repair or replace as needed:. Hoses exposed to anhydrous ammonia lose strength. You should replace them according to the following schedule regardless of visible damage:. When filling a nurse or applicator tank, be thoroughly familiar with the equipment and procedures prior to any transfer.
Because most accidents occur when transferring ammonia, it is very important to wear a protective face shield or goggles and rubber gloves when you are involved in this procedure. Park the nurse tank on level ground, downwind from the filling operation. Place it close to the operation to eliminate any stress on the hose. Avoid working near any obstacles that would make evacuation difficult, such as fences, buildings or ditches.
Block the wheels to prevent the nurse tank from moving. A serious situation could develop if the tank moved and a hose tore loose during the filling operation. Before connecting the hose, make sure the coupling and connections are free of dirt and other foreign material.
Visually check to see that the threads are not damaged. This will reduce the chance of an ammonia leak when pressure is applied. Workers should carry the filler hose by the valve body or coupling, not by the valve wheel.
This reduces the chance of the valve wheel opening and spraying ammonia. Remember the valve wheel and fitting are designed to be closed by hand pressure only. Don't use a wrench - it can damage the fitting. If you are using a compressor to transfer ammonia, follow recommended instructions in your operator's manual. Maintain a vapor pressure 5 to 10 pounds lower in the tank being filled to keep a forward flow. Do not overfill the nurse or applicator tank.
Keep check on the liquid level by opening the 85 percent fill bleeder valve. A white fog will appear when it reaches this level. After conversion to ammonium, which is a positively charged ion, it is held on the soil exchange complex and does not move with water.
Only after conversion to nitrate NO 3 — , via the nitrification process, can it be lost from soil by leaching or denitrification. The reaction of ammonia with water 1 causes an initial alkaline pH in the ammonia retention zone pH can temporarily rise above nine at the point of highest concentration.
As pH goes above 7. These two reactions 2 and 3 are the steps in the biological nitrification process that occurs with ammonium in soil, and ultimately results in a lowering of soil pH back to the original pH or lower. Nitrification occurs first at the outer edges of an ammonia retention band, and progresses inward as the initial effects of ammonia injection decrease and the soil conditions become more conducive to microbial activity.
Dry soil can hold ammonia. Even air dried soil contains some moisture, although the moisture content is quite low. Ammonia dissolves readily in water, but it is held or retained in soil by clay and organic matter.
If dry soils are cloddy and do not seal properly at application, free ammonia can be lost at injection, or seep through the large pores between clods after application. Therefore, proper depth of injection and good soil coverage are a must for application into dry soils.
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