Health effects
Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Even in small concentrations in the air, anhydrous ammonia can be extremely irritating to the eyes, throat and breathing passages. Exposure to ammonia vapor may cause:
- Convulsive coughing
- Difficult or painful breathing
- Pulmonary congestion
- Death
History of spills
Both Orca Bay Seafoods and Preferred Freezer have experienced leaks of anhydrous ammonia.
Orca Bay Seafoods
Date/Place: September 1999, Renton, Washington
Cause:
Health effects: Some 20 people breathed fumes; three went to hospitals for treatment.
Closures: Three miles of Interstate 405 and several blocks in Renton
Preferred Freezer Services
Date/Place: April 2014, Norton, Massachusetts
Cause: A safety valve on an exterior tank failed.
Evacuations: A school and homes were evacuated for more than four hours due to odors. No injuries reported.
Environmental impacts: Some of the ammonia made its way into storm drains, which emptied into a river. As a result, 20,000 gallons of contaminated water were removed from the stream; 11,000 gallons of contaminated water and 2 cubic yards of contaminated sludge were taken from the storm drain system.
Response required: Environmental Protection Agency, state hazmat and environmental agencies, six fire departments, an emergency contractor.