Tn Ammonia Gas Leak How Ammonia Exposure Affects Body Fatal Risks

Seven people died and more than 40 were hospitalised in Tamil Nadu after an ammonia gas leak at a private seafood export company spread to the workers’ residential premises. The injured are currently under treatment at several hospitals near the seafood unit, with the critically injured being moved to Stanley Medical College in Chennai.

Exposure to high levels of ammonia starts irritating and hurting the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. It can lead to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. It can cause painful blisters on the skin. It can trigger swelling and narrowing of the throat, making it harder to breathe. It can lead to severe bouts of coughing and lung damage, which can ultimately result in death. Serious patients have reported pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs), severe oxygen deprivation and respiratory failure.

Most people can immediately smell the chemical, feel skin irritation or even start coughing, ensuring that they do not get exposed to high quantities. “Exposure for a long time may affect people’s ability to sense the chemical,” says the US Centres for Disease Control.

Some, who have been exposed to very high levels of ammonia, can experience long-term health consequences such as chronic cough, asthma and scarring of the lungs. A 2012 study from Gujarat based on the data of over 1,200 employees of a urea manufacturing plant found that more than 68.22% workers who were exposed to ammonia gas at work had a significantly higher risk of respiratory disease as compared to workers that were not exposed to ammonia.

There is no specific treatment for exposure to ammonia. Doctors and health professionals usually try to remove the ammonia from the body after an exposure and then provide supportive care for any symptoms a person develops.

If you have been exposed to ammonia gas, you should:

Remove all your clothes. Do not remove it over your head to prevent further exposure into the mouth and eyes. If you have to, close your eyes and mouth before doing so. Wash your body with lukewarm water and soap. Wash your eyes with lukewarm water as well.

Ammonia is generally used in the manufacturing of fertilisers, plastics, explosives, and other chemicals such as corrosion inhibitors. It is used for water purification, it is present in household cleaners, and is required in industries such as rubber, textile and leather. It is also used as a refrigerant gas, which is likely the case in Tamil Nadu.

Yes. There was an instance of ammonia gas leak in a meat factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh that affected at least 50 workers in 2022. Two years before that, around 50 people fell ill or fainted in a cold storage plant in Haryana’s Uttar Pradesh.

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More