The Russian Defense Ministry accused what it called "Ukrainian extremist nationalists" of having carried out a provocative act in the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, which led to the leakage of ammonium in the city.

For its part, the Ukrainian authorities blamed Moscow for what happened, as the governor of the Sumy region said that the Russian authorities targeted a chemical plant, which led to the leakage of ammonium gas.

So what is ammonium gas?

What is the danger to life?


Ammonium nitrate .. a chemical

The ammonium nitrate compound is prepared by passing ammonia gas in nitric acid (42% concentration), knowing that this preparation reaction is exothermic.

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical substance in the form of a white, colorless and odorless salt, commonly used in the manufacture of fertilizers, and used as an explosive in quarries and mines.

Ammonium nitrate is a component of fertilizers called amontrate, and farmers buy it in large bags or by weight. It is non-flammable products, but it is an oxidizer, meaning that it allows the combustion of another flammable substance.

What is the danger?

Ammonium nitrate in itself does not represent a danger, and it depends on the method of storage and safety standards followed.

Ammonium nitrate becomes explosive if large quantities of ammonium nitrate are stored close to each other.

In this case, the ammonium nitrate is heated and ignited if the stored quantity is too large, then it reacts with oxygen, which increases its ignition power.

Ammonium nitrate can also be used in the manufacture of explosive devices, and it is a relatively safe substance if it is far from contamination and has been stored properly, but it is very dangerous if it becomes contaminated, mixed with gasoline, or is stored in an unsafe manner.

After ignition, the ammonium nitrate begins to melt, and a solid layer is formed around it while the material continues to burn inside this layer, in a manner similar to the eruption of a volcano.

The gases formed from the combustion of the material put pressure on the solid outer layer until it explodes.

Sodium nitrate may also ignite if mixed with other materials such as oil.

Ammonium nitrate is 4 times stronger than gunpowder, while TNT is superior to it in explosive power.

Chemicals from the explosion dissipate quickly in the atmosphere, but some pollutants may remain, such as nitrogen oxide, which causes a red cloud over the site of the explosion.

These pollutants may cause problems later, such as acid rain that harms the environment.

Ammonium has very harmful health effects and toxic and fatal repercussions, so experts recommend taking caution when handling it, storing it or transporting it.


ammonium disasters

During the last century, ammonium nitrate has been a source of many tragedies around the world, accidental or criminal, and led to massive destruction in many regions of the world.

We highlight the most prominent of them in the following report:

1921: The first recorded accident in the history of this boat, which killed 561 people, was at the BISF factory in Obau, Germany.

1947: The French city of Brest was shaken by the explosion of the Norwegian cargo ship "Ocean Liberty", which was loaded with this substance.

In the same year, about 2,300 tons of the chemical exploded on board a ship in the US port of Texas City, causing a tsunami that killed at least 567 people and injured more than 5,000 others.

Oklahoma explosion

April 1992: The Secret IRA detonates several bombs with ammonium nitrate as a base ingredient.

April 1993: The Irish Secret Army used ammonium nitrate to detonate a bomb in London.

1995 Timothy McVeigh detonated a car loaded with ammonium nitrate mixture in front of a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.

2001: A large quantity of about 300 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded inside a warehouse of a factory in the southern suburbs of Toulouse, France. The explosion killed 31 people and injured 2,500.

2004: Train cars loaded with ammonium nitrate explode in Ringchon, North Korea, killing more than 154 people, injuring more than 1,200, and destroying more than 8,000 homes in the city.

2011: The Norwegian Anders Breivik used the same method to carry out a bombing in Oslo.

2013: Ammonium nitrate stockpiles at the West Fertilizer fertilizer plant in West Texas, USA, were deliberately blown up, killing 15 people and wounding nearly 200.

2015: 800 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Tianjin, in coastal Chinese provinces, killing more than 173 people and destroying an entire region.


Beirut port

August 4, 2020: A 2,700 tons of explosives exploded in the Lebanese port of Beirut, approximately 600 to 800 tons of highly explosive TNT, according to specialized experts.

The distance to which a detonation of this type can extend, with this quantity of explosives, ranges between 15 and 20 kilometers.

While the explosive velocity of dangerous ammonium nitrate exceeds the speed of sound and reaches 2500 meters per second.

February 2, 2022: A massive fire broke out in a factory in North Carolina, America, containing 600 tons of ammonium nitrate, in addition to 5,000 tons of fertilizers, prompting the authorities to evacuate more than 6,500 people from the surrounding area, until the control of the area. Fire for fear of any possible explosions.