Copy (2) of NJ Hazard Ammonium NitrateRight to KnowHazardous Substance Fact Sheet
Common Name: AMMONIUM NITRATE
CAS Number: 6484-52-2
RTK Substance Number: 0106
Synonyms: Nitram; Ammonia Nitrate
Chemical Name: Nitric Acid, Ammonium Salt
Date: June 1998 Revision: July 2007 DOT Number: UN 1942
Description and Use
Ammonium Nitrate is an odorless, colorless, white to gray
crystalline (sand-like) flake, bead or granule. It is used to
make explosives, matches, fertilizers, and antibiotics.
Reason for Citation
Ammonium Nitrate is on the Right to Know Hazardous
Substance List because it is cited by DOT and NFPA.
This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance
List.
SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5.
FIRST AID
Eye Contact
Immediately flush with large amounts of cool water for at
least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids.
Remove contact lenses, if worn, while rinsing.
Skin Contact
Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash
contaminated skin with large amounts of water.
Inhalation
Remove the person from exposure.
Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if
breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped.
Transfer promptly to a medical facility.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300
NJDEP Hotline: 1-877-927-6337
National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE PAGE 6
Hazard Summary
Hazard Rating NJDHSS NFPA
HEALTH - 2
FLAMMABILITY - 0
REACTIVITY - 3
REACTIVE
POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE
CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE
OXIDIZER
Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious;
4=severe
Ammonium Nitrate can affect you when inhaled and by
passing through your skin.
Contact can irritate and burn the skin and eyes.
Inhaling Ammonium Nitrate can irritate the nose, throat and
lungs.
High levels may cause methemoglobinemia with headache,
fatigue, and a blue color to the skin and lips.
Ammonium Nitrate is REACTIVE and a DANGEROUS
EXPLOSION HAZARD.
Workplace Exposure Limits
No occupational exposure limits have been established for
Ammonium Nitrate. This does not mean that this substance
is not harmful. Safe work practices should always be followed.
It should be recognized that Ammonium Nitrate can be
absorbed through your skin, thereby increasing your
exposure.
AMMONIUM NITRATE Page 2 of 6
Determining Your Exposure
Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product
ingredients and important safety and health information
about the product mixture.
For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New
Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet, available on the RTK
Program website (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in
your facility’s RTK Central File or Hazard Communication
Standard file.
You have a right to this information under the New Jersey
Worker and Community Right to Know Act, the Public
Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act
if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the
federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you
are a private worker.
The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most
employers to label chemicals in the workplace and
requires public employers to provide their employees with
information concerning chemical hazards and controls.
The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29
CFR 1910.1200) requires private employers to provide
similar information and training to their employees.
This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information
regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure.
Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other
factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential
effects described below.
Health Hazard Information
Acute Health Effects
The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur
immediately or shortly after exposure to Ammonium Nitrate:
Contact can irritate and burn the skin and eyes.
Inhaling Ammonium Nitrate can irritate the nose, throat and
lungs.
Overexposure can cause nausea, vomiting, flushing of the
face and neck, headache, weakness and collapse.
High levels can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry
Oxygen causing headache, fatigue, dizziness, and a blue
color to the skin and lips (methemoglobinemia). Higher
levels can cause trouble breathing, collapse and even death.
Chronic Health Effects
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at
some time after exposure to Ammonium Nitrate and can last
for months or years:
Cancer Hazard
According to the information presently available to the New
Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services,
Ammonium Nitrate has not been tested for its ability to
cause cancer in animals.
Reproductive Hazard
According to the information presently available to the New
Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services,
Ammonium Nitrate has not been tested for its ability to
affect reproduction.
Other Effects
No chronic (long-term) health effects are known at this time.
Medical
Medical Testing
If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the
following is recommended:
Blood methemoglobin level
Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and
present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for
damage already done are not a substitute for controlling
exposure.
Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right
to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee
Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).
Workplace Controls and Practices
Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or
sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less
toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures
include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely
irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust
ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single
exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control
exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on
workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control
Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/.
The following work practices are also recommended:
Label process containers.
Provide employees with hazard information and training.
Monitor airborne chemical concentrations.
Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed
recommended exposure levels.
Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers.
Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous
material.
Always wash at the end of the workshift.
Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes
contaminated.
Do not take contaminated clothing home.
Get special training to wash contaminated clothing.
Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are
being handled, processed or stored.
Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking,
applying cosmetics or using the toilet.
When vacuuming, a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
filter should be used, not a standard shop vacuum.
AMMONIUM NITRATE Page 3 of 6
In addition, the following may be useful or required:
Before entering a confined space where Ammonium
Nitrate may be present, check to make sure that an
explosive concentration does not exist.
Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during
clean-up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP.
Personal Protective Equipment
The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR
1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate
personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train
employees on how and when to use protective equipment.
The following recommendations are only guidelines and may
not apply to every situation.
Gloves and Clothing
Avoid skin contact with Ammonium Nitrate. Wear personal
protective equipment made from material which can not be
permeated and/or degraded by this substance. Safety
equipment suppliers/manufacturers can provide
recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing
material for your operation.
Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Butyl or
Neoprene for gloves and CHEMFAB Challenger® 5200 as
protective material for clothing.
All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear)
should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.
Eye Protection
Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles.
Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with
corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances.
Respiratory Protection
Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Such equipment
should only be used if the employer has a written program that
takes into account workplace conditions, requirements for
worker training, respirator fit testing, and medical exams as
described in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29
CFR 1910.134).
For field applications check with your supervisor and your
safety equipment supplier regarding the appropriate
respiratory equipment.
Where the potential exists for overexposure to Ammonium
Nitrate, use a NIOSH approved negative pressure, air
purifying, particulate filter respirator. The filter classifications
of dust/mist/fume, paint spray or pesticide prefilters, and
filters for radon daughters, have been replaced with the N,
R, and P series. Each series has three levels of filtering
efficiency: 95%, 99%, and 99.9%.
Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or
cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect
Ammonium Nitrate, (2) while wearing particulate filters
abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye
irritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator.
Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good.
If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer
good, you may need a new respirator.
Be sure to consider all potential exposures in you workplace.
You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges
to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as
vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals.
Where the potential for high exposure exists, use a NIOSH
approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece
operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure
mode. For increased protection use in combination with an
auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus operated in a
pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode.
Fire Hazards
If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained
and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard
(29 CFR 1910.156).
To extinguish fire, flood with water.
DO NOT USE dry chemical, CO2 or halogenated
extinguishing agents.
POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including
Nitrogen Oxides and Ammonia.
CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE.
Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool.
Ammonium Nitrate may ignite combustibles (wood, paper
and oil).
Spills and Emergencies
If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be
properly trained and equipped. The OSHA Hazardous Waste
Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120) may apply.
If Ammonium Nitrate is spilled, take the following steps:
Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to the
area.
Eliminate all ignition sources.
Collect with a clean shovel and place into noncombustible
containers.
Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete.
Keep Ammonium Nitrate out of a confined space, such as
a sewer, because of the possibility of an explosion.
It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Ammonium
Nitrate as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your
regional office of the federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations.
AMMONIUM NITRATE Page 4 of 6
For more information, please contact:
New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services
Right to Know Program
PO Box 368
Trenton, NJ 08625-0368
Phone: 609-984-2202
Fax: 609-984-7407
E-mail: rtk@doh.state.nj.us
Web address: http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb
The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
are not intended to be copied and sold
for commercial purposes.
Handling and Storage
Prior to working with Ammonium Nitrate you should be
trained on its proper handling and storage.
Ammonium Nitrate is a STRONG OXIDIZER and when
contaminated with OIL, CHARCOAL, or other ORGANIC
MATERIALS, can EXPLODE and become SENSITIVE TO
SHOCK.
Ammonium Nitrate reacts with STRONG BASES (such as
SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE).
Ammonium Nitrate is not compatible with REDUCING
AGENTS; COMBUSTIBLES; STRONG ACIDS (such as
HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); POWDERED
METALS; METAL SALTS; OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as
PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES,
CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and
FLUORINE); PHOSPHORUS; UREA; and SULFUR.
Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated
area away from MOISTURE. Containers should be
protected from physical damage, shock, heat, and
contamination.
Sources of ignition, such as smoking and open flames, are
prohibited where Ammonium Nitrate is used, handled, or
stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or
explosion hazard.
Wherever Ammonium Nitrate is used, handled,
manufactured, or stored, use explosion-proof electrical
equipment and fittings.
Occupational Health Information
Resources
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services,
Occupational Health Service, offers multiple services in
occupational health. These services include providing
informational resources, educational materials, public
presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical
investigations and evaluations.
AMMONIUM NITRATE Page 5 of 6
GLOSSARY
ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists. They publish guidelines called Threshold Limit
Values (TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals.
Boiling point is the temperature at which a substance can
change its physical state from a liquid to a gas.
A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.
The CAS number is unique, identifying number, assigned by
the Chemical Abstracts Service, to a specific chemical.
CFR is the Code of Federal Regulations, which are the
regulations of the United States government.
A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn.
A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes
destruction of human skin or severe corrosion of containers.
DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection.
DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency
that regulates the transportation of chemicals.
EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal
agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.
ERG is the Emergency Response Guidebook. It is a guide for
emergency responders for transportation emergencies
involving hazardous substances.
A fetus is an unborn human or animal.
A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will
ignite easily and burn rapidly.
The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid
gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air.
IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a
scientific group.
Ionization Potential is the amount of energy needed to
remove an electron from an atom or molecule. It is measured
in electron volts.
IRIS is the Integrated Risk Information System database
maintained by federal EPA. The database contains
information on human health effects that may result from
exposure to various chemicals in the environment.
LEL or Lower Explosive Limit is the lowest concentration of a
combustible substance (gas or vapor) in the air capable of
continuing an explosion.
mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air.
It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume).
A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation
is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations
can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.
NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies
substances according to their fire and explosion hazard.
NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves
respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and
proposes standards to OSHA.
NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals
and reviews evidence for cancer.
OSHA is the federal Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety
standards.
PEOSHA is the New Jersey Public Employees Occupational
Safety and Health Act, which adopts and enforces health and
safety standards in public workplaces.
Permeated is the movement of chemicals through protective
materials.
PIH is a DOT designation for chemicals which are Poison
Inhalation Hazards.
ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a
measure of concentration by volume in air.
A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases
energy under certain conditions.
STEL is a Short Term Exposure Limit which is usually a 15-
minute exposure that should not be exceeded at any time
during a work day.
A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by
damaging the fetus.
UEL or Upper Explosive Limit is the highest concentration in
air above which there is too much fuel (gas or vapor) to begin a
reaction or explosion.
Vapor Density is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of
one gas to the weight of another (usually Hydrogen), at the
same temperature and pressure.
The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a
solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure
indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and
therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.
INFORMATION FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS Page 6 of 6
Common Name: AMMONIUM NITRATE
Synonyms: Nitram; Ammonia Nitrate
CAS No: 6484-52-2
Molecular Formula: NH4NO3
RTK Substance No: 0106
Description: A colorless to white or gray, crystalline solid or granule
HAZARD DATA
Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity
2 - Health
0 - Fire
3- Reactivity
DOT ID #: UN 1942
ERG Guide #: 140
Hazard Class: 5.1
(Oxidizer)
Flood with water.
DO NOT USE dry chemical, CO2 or
halogenated extinguishing agents.
POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN
FIRE, including Nitrogen Oxides and
Ammonia.
CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE
Use water spray to keep fire-exposed
containers cool.
Evacuate in all directions for 1,600 meters
(1 mile) if fire cannot be controlled.
Protect from shock.
Ammonium Nitrate is a STRONG OXIDIZER and when
contaminated with OIL, CHARCOAL or other ORGANIC
MATERIALS, can EXPLODE and become SENSITIVE TO
SHOCK.
Ammonium Nitrate must be stored to avoid contact with
REDUCING AGENTS; COMBUSTIBLES; STRONG ACID
(such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC);
POWDERED METALS; METAL SALTS; OXIDIZING
AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES,
PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES,
CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); PHOSPHORUS;
UREA; and SULFUR.
Ammonium Nitrate reacts with STRONG BASES (such as
SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE).
SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Isolation Distance: 10 to 25 meters (30 to 80 feet)
Collect with a clean shovel and place in
noncombustible containers.
Keep Ammonium Nitrate out of a confined
space, such as a sewer, because of the
possibility of an explosion.
This material may be hazardous to water quality
but will biodegrade.
Odor Threshold:
Flash Point:
LEL:
UEL:
Density:
Water Solubility:
Melting Point:
Ionization Potential:
pH:
Odorless
Nonflammable
N/A
N/A
1.7 g/cm3
Soluble
336oF (169oC) Decomposes at 410oF (210oC)
No Information
5.4
EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
ACGIH:
OSHA:
NIOSH:
IDLH LEVEL:
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Gloves:
Coverall:
Boot:
Respirator:
Butyl or Neoprene
CHEMFAB Challenger® 5200
Butyl or Neoprene
N95 for dusts or mists
Supplied air for unknown levels or emergency
HEALTH EFFECTS FIRST AID AND DECONTAMINATION
Eyes:
Skin:
Acute:
Chronic:
Irritation and burns
Irritation and burns
Nose, throat and lung irritation
Methemoglobinemia with headache,
fatigue and blue color to the skin and
lips
Cancer - Not tested
No information available
Remove the person from exposure.
Flush eyes with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes.
Remove contact lenses if worn.
Remove contaminated clothing. Wash contaminated skin with water.
Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary.
Transfer to a medical facility.