About 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were brought ashore by a ship six years ago and stored in a warehouse off the coast of Beirut.
The Beirut explosion in the port area on Tuesday evening is said to have been caused by the same chemical, which has so far killed 113 people and injured more than 4,000.
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| Beirut Explosion Satellite Map |
What is Ammonium Nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate is a crystalline white solid substance that is widely prepared for industrial use. NH4NO3 is the chemical formula of Ammonium nitrate. It is mostly used to obtain nitrogen in fertilizers but is also used to make explosives for mining.
"You don't get ammonium nitrate from the ground," says Andrea Sella, a professor of chemistry at University College London. Because it is synthetic, it is made from a chemical combination of ammonia and nitric acid.
Ammonium nitrate is made worldwide and costs very little, but storing it can be a problem. And it has been caused serious industrial accidents in the past.
Is Ammonium Nitrate Dangerous?
According to Professor Sella, if ammonium nitrate is kept for too long, it starts to break down.
"The real problem is that over time it absorbs moisture and hardens like a rock, which makes it dangerous," he said. Because this means that there could be a severe chemical reaction in the event of a fire approaching.
Philip Ingram, a former senior military intelligence officer, told that the longer it lay, the more likely it was to become contaminated with fuel.
"It reacts with chemicals," he said. It creates heat on its own and once it starts to happen, it increases over time.
What Is Mushroom Cloud Made Of?
Videos of the Beirut explosion show smoke rising from the fire, followed by a mushroom-like cloud that is commonly seen during nuclear explosions.
According to Professor Sella, "supersonic shockwave spread rapidly in the air and you can see it spreading out of the center like around cloud."
"Shockwaves is caused by air pressure," he explained. The air expands rapidly and cools immediately, and the water in the air condenses, causing it to form a cloud.
How Dangerous Are The Gases Produced By The Explosion Of Ammonium Nitrate?
When ammonium nitrate explodes, it releases toxic gases, including nitrogen and ammonia gas. Orange smoke clouds are caused by nitrogen dioxide, which causes air pollution.
According to Professor Sella, "If there is not much wind, it becomes a danger to the people nearby."
Is Ammonium Nitrate Used To Make Bombs?
Due to powerful explosive capacity, forces around the world use ammonium nitrate in explosives.
It has also been used in many extremist attacks, including the 1995 bombing of the US state of Oklahoma.
In the incident, Timothy McVeigh used two tons of ammonium nitrate to make a bomb that destroyed a federal building and killed 168 people.
Has An Incident Like Beirut Explosion Ever Happened Before?
- In 1921, 4,500 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded at the Oppau plant in Germany, killing more than 500 people.
- The deadliest industrial crash in U.S. history occurred in 1947 in Gleason Bay, Texas, killing at least 581 people. In this incident, 2000 tons of chemicals were destroyed in a ship anchored off the coast.
- A recent explosion at the northern Chinese port of Tianjin killed 173 people with ammonium nitrate and other chemicals.