Ammonium toxicity

Hi) Poly amines. In many respects the role of poly amines in plant functioning is still mysterious after many years work. They are almost certainly involved in the control of growth and development through their interactions with nucleic acids and membranes (Smith, 1985). There is increasing circumstantial evidence for their involvement, especially of putrescine, in plant responses to a wide range of stresses including pH, Mg deficiency, osmotic shock, cold, SO2 pollution, and cadmium and ammonium toxicity (Smith, 1985). It remains to be determined, however, how, and indeed whether, putrescine accumulation in response to these diverse stresses is beneficial. 

There are several rare disorders of the urea cycle. However, the most common is OTC deficiency, which is an X-linked disease. In severe neonatal forms of the disease, patients rapidly die from ammonium toxicity. However, the disease is variable and some boys have mild forms of the disease. In heterozygous females, the condition varies from being undetectable to a severity that matches that of the boys. 

Precautions in Handling. Ammonium bifluoride, like all soluble fluorides, is toxic if taken internally. Hydrofluoric acid bums may occur if the material comes in contact with moist skin. Ammonium bifluoride solutions should be thoroughly washed from the skin with mildly alkaline soap as soon as possible however, if contact has been prolonged, the affected areas should be soaked with 0.13% solution of Zephiran chloride, or 0.2% Hyamine 1622 (Lonza, Inc.) or calcium gluconate, the treatment recommended for hydrofluoric acid bums. If any of these solutions come in contact with the eyes, they should be washed with water for at least 10 min and a physician should be consulted. 

The extremely toxic and flammable gas phosphine is safely and conveniently generated for the fumigation of grain in sacks or bins from 3-g tablets containing aluminum phosphide and ammonium carbamate which produce 1 g of phosphine in the presence of moisture. 

Arsenic Peroxides. Arsenic peroxides have not been isolated however, elemental arsenic, and a great variety of arsenic compounds, have been found to be effective catalysts ia the epoxidation of olefins by aqueous hydrogen peroxide. Transient peroxoarsenic compounds are beheved to be iavolved ia these systems. Compounds that act as effective epoxidation catalysts iaclude arsenic trioxide, arsenic pentoxide, arsenious acid, arsenic acid, arsenic trichloride, arsenic oxychloride, triphenyl arsiae, phenylarsonic acid, and the arsenates of sodium, ammonium, and bismuth (56). To avoid having to dispose of the toxic residues of these reactions, the arsenic can be immobi1i2ed on a polystyrene resia (57). 

Safety Considerations. Ammonium nitrate can be considered a safe material if treated and handled properly. Potential hazards include those associated with fire, decomposition accompanied by generation of toxic fumes, and explosion. 

Although ammonium nitrate does not itself bum, it is a strong oxidizer capable of supporting the combustion of numerous substances when heated. It can support and intensify a fire even when air is excluded. Fires involving ammonium nitrate also present a toxic hazard from the release of nitrogen oxides, even though the soHd itself is generally considered not to be toxic. 

Some quaternary ammonium compounds are potent germicides (164,195,196), toxic in small (mg/L range) quantities to a wide range of microorganisms. 

Care must be exercised in using sodium nitrite near other chemicals. It is incompatible with ammonium salts, thiocyanates, thiosulfates, and strong reducing agents. In acid solutions, sodium nitrite evolves toxic NO in the presence of secondary amines it can form nitrosamines which are suspected carcinogens. 

Toxicity data for the acid are as follows oral LD q (i ts), 1600 mg/kg and oral LD q (mice), 3100 mg/kg (49). The physiological effects of sulfamic acid and ammonium sulfamate are described in Reference 50. 

Manufacture, Shipment, and Analysis. In the United States, sodium and potassium thiocyanates are made by adding caustic soda or potash to ammonium thiocyanate, followed by evaporation of the ammonia and water. The products are sold either as 50—55 wt % aqueous solutions, in the case of sodium thiocyanate, or as the crystalline soHds with one grade containing 5 wt % water and a higher assay grade containing a maximum of 2 wt % water. In Europe, the thiocyanates may be made by direct sulfurization of the corresponding cyanide. The acute LD q (rat, oral) of sodium thiocyanate is 764 mg/kg, accompanied by convulsions and respiratory failure LD q (mouse, oral) is 362 mg/kg. The lowest pubhshed toxic dose for potassium thiocyanate is 80—428 mg/kg, with hallucinations, convulsions, or muscular weakness. The acute LD q (rat, oral) for potassium thiocyanate is 854 mg/kg, with convulsions and respiratory failure. 

Orally in rats, the toxicity of sodium tungstate was highest, tungsten trioxide was intermediate, and ammonium tungstate [15855-70-6] lowest (59,60). In view of the degree of systemic toxicity of soluble compounds of tungsten, a threshold limit of 1 mg of tungsten per m of air is recommended. 

The ammonium salts of vanadic acid and vanadium pentoxide have been Hsted as toxic constituents in soHd wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (27). 

The handling of toxic materials and disposal of ammonium bisulfate have led to the development of alternative methods to produce this acid and the methyl ester. There are two technologies for production from isobutylene now available ammoxidation to methyl methacrylate (the Sohio process), which is then solvolyzed, similar to acetone cyanohydrin, to methyl methacrylate and direct oxidation of isobutylene in two stages via methacrolein [78-85-3] to methacryhc acid, which is then esterified (125). Since direct oxidation avoids the need for HCN and NH, and thus toxic wastes, all new plants have elected to use this technology. Two plants, Oxirane and Rohm and Haas (126), came on-stream in the early 1980s. The Oxirane plant uses the coproduct tert-huty alcohol direcdy rather than dehydrating it first to isobutylene (see Methacrylic acid). 

Ammonium cyanide may be prepared in solution by passing hydrogen cyanide into aqueous ammonia at low temperatures. It may also be prepared from barium cyanide and ammonium sulfate, or calcium cyanide with ammonium carbonate. It may be prepared in the dry state by gentiy heating a mixture of potassium cyanide or ferrocyanide and ammonium chloride, and condensing the vapor in a cooled receiver. Ammonium cyanide is soluble in water or alcohol. The vapor above soHd NH CN contains free NH and HCN, a very toxic mixture. 

Quaternary ammonium compounds biocidal activity mechanism, 1, 401 toxicity, 1, 124 Quaternization heterocyclic compounds reviews, 1, 73 ( )-Quebrach amine synthesis, 1, 490 Queen substance synthesis, 1, 439 4, 777 Quercetin occurrence, 3, 878 pentamethyl ether photolysis, 3, 696 photooxidation, 3, 695 Quercetrin hydrolysis, 3, 878 Quinacetol sulfate as fungicide, 2, 514 Quinacridone, 2,9-dimethyl-, 1, 336 Quinacridone pigments, 1, 335-336 Quinacrine... 

The term manufacture also includes coincidental production of a toxic chemical (e.g., as a byproduct or impurity) as a result of the manufacture, processing, use, or treatment of other chemical substances. In the case of coincidental production of an impurity (i.e., a chemical that remains in the product that is distributed in commerce), the de minimis limitation, discussed on page 11, applies. The de minimis limitation does not apply to byproducts (e.g., a chemical that is separated from a process stream and further processed or disposed). Certain listed toxic chemicals may be manufactured as a result of wastewater treatment or other treatment processes. For example, neutralization of acid wastewater can result in the coincidental manufacture of ammonium nitrate (solution). 

Yourcompany. a nitric acid manufacturer, uses ammonia in a waste treatment system to neutralize an acidic wastewater stream containing nitric acid. The reaction of the ammonia and nitric acid produces an ammonium nitrate solution. Ammonium nitrate solution is a listed toxic substance, as are nitric acid and ammonia. Your facility otherwise uses ammonia as a reactant and manufactures ammonium nitrate solution as a byproduct. If the ammonium nitrate solution is produced in a quantity that exceeds the threshold (e.g., 25,000 pounds for 1989), the facility must report for ammonium nitrate solution. If more than 10,000 pounds of ammonia is added to the wastewater treatment system, then the facility must report (or ammonia. 

Phosphorous Trioxide (Diphosphorus trioxide). P203, mw 109.95, transparent monocl crysts, mp 23.8°, bp 173.1° in nitrogen atm, d 2.135 g/cc. Exists as P406 when in vapor phase or in benz soln. Disproportio nates into red P and P204 when heated above 210°. Sol in benz and C disulfide. When placed in cold w, H3PC>3 is formed. Prepd by treating PCI 3 with tetramethyl ammonium sulfite in liq S02 > or from the elements (Ref 6). It is highly toxic (Ref 7)... 

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