subject: Ammonia: Uses And Problems [print this page] Ammonia is a chemical that is either a liquid or gas. It has a very strong and distinct smell and can be harmful or even fatal if inhaled even in very low concentrations. The very strong smell, though, is beneficial however as opposed to an odorless chemical because you can leave an area if you smell the very distinct ammonia odor.
Ammonia is used very regularly as a liquid. It is most commonly known to be used as a cleaning solution. It is very easy to mix with water and does a great job at cleaning your house. Many different solutions, such as your toilet cleaners, window sprays, oven cleaner, and other household cleaners contain some amount of ammonia concentration.
Ammonia is also used often in fertilizer. Most fertilizers you buy will use nitrogen in their solution instead of ammonia. Many gardeners will use their pure household ammonia as a fertilizer because they can save themselves money. They simply dilute their pure ammonia with distilled water to make their homemade, less expensive, fertilizer.
Though ammonia has great uses, it can also be a problem. One problem that arises is the fact that it gets into the wastewater of many industries. It gets into their water because of the industry using ammonia as their main cleaning agent. It must be treated or removed before being put into the environment. Ammonia removal from the wastewater of companies is very important because it will help keep our environment clean. There are companies that specialize in ammonia reduction or removal but often times it is hard to remove all of the incoming ammonia.
Another problem that arises with ammonia is that it has become a popular inhalant for teenagers. Teenagers can find an easy high just looking through their cleaning supplies at their own home. Because of its properties, inhaling ammonia can give people a sense of euphoria and make them light headed. It can even become addicting. It is also very harmful. Any time you inhale strong chemicals, you are letting your body be exposed to toxins that will affect the way your body functions. Like mentioned above, it can also become deadly. Many will justify inhaling ammonia because it is in their cleaning supplies but don't be fooled, it is just as harmful as using illegal drugs.
Ammonia definitely has some positive and negative uses but overall can be a great tool if used correctly.
