Preservation products breakdown processes

Ammonia is found in the environment as the result of natural and industrial processes. It is released into the environment by the breakdown of organic wastes, and it is a constituent of the soil, the atmosphere, and bodies of water. Ammonia is also a key intermediate in the nitrogen cycle and is a product of amino acid metabolism (WHO 1986). Anhydrous ammonia is used in the production of nitric acid, explosives, synthetic fibers, and fertilizers (Budavari 1989). It is used as a refrigerant as a corrosion inhibitor in the purification of water supplies in steel production as a catalyst for polymers as a preservative for latex and in the production of nitrocellulose, urea formaldehyde, sulfite cooking liquors, and nitroparaffins (ACGIH 1991 Lewis 1993). Ammonium hydroxide (10-35% ammonia) is a major constituent of many cleaning solutions. Ammonia... 

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