ammonia refrigeration systems to gather information on safety practices and technologies and to share its knowledge with these facilities. The true danger from ammonia occurs when a person is unable to leave a gaseous ammonia environment, and when the liquid comes in contact with the body, particularly the eyes. In addition, over the past 2 years, Region III has These units can vary in complexity and effectiveness, but generally are capable of operating continuously. Region III has conducted more than 135 chemical safety audits from 1995 to the present of both large and small facilities using ammonia for refrigeration. Ammonia is classified as a Water Hazard Class 2 substance. While ammonia’s benefits are numerous, its dangers cannot be trivialized. Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Ammonia, frequently used commercially in large freezing and refrigeration plants is also called “anhydrous ammonia” because it contains almost no water (it is 99.98% pure). Refrigerant grade anhydrous ammonia is a clear colorless gas or liquid and is considered an irritant. Last month, a 5000 pound ammonia leak occurred at a Boston-area seafood warehouse that killed one worker and forced a shelter-in-place order from Boston Police. As a refrigerant, ammonia has four major advantages over CFCs and HCFCs: Any business operating a chiller with ammonia is … Concerns, Cautions and Considerations. Household ammonia, by comparison, is only about 10% ammonia by weight mixed with water. Exposure to 300 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health. Ammonia refrigeration is commonly found in cold storage, food processing and industrial applications, but the use of ammonia does extend into other markets as well, especially overseas. Ammonia refrigeration works much like Industrial Refrigeration systems using synthetic refrigerants, with the major exception being that it uses anhydrous ammonia as the refrigerant. in the workplace. The odor of ammonia is widely recognized. The Dangers of Ammonia. Typically use hot discharge gas or warm condensed liquid to provide an inexpensive heat source for boiling the cold contaminated liquid ammonia. The odor threshold reported in literature varies. A release of Anhydrous Ammonia could happen in a number of ways: physical impact to the refrigeration system, seal leaks, piping corrosion, and hydraulic shock. With ammonia, because fewer pounds of refrigerant are required to do the same amount of work, generally speaking, the lower a facility’s temperature requirements, the more cost-effective ammonia becomes. This means that, if released, ammonia can be a danger to the immediate environment. 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