What is ammonia?

Ammonia is a colorless gas with a very distinct odor.  People may readily recognize this smell because it is used in many household cleaners and window cleaning products.  High levels of airborne ammonia gas can dissolve in water to cause corrosive ammonium hydroxide.  Most people smell ammonia before it causes any health effects.

How can ammonia affect my health?

Everyone is exposed to low levels of naturally occurring ammonia in air, food, water, and soil.  Exposure to high levels of ammonia in air may be irritating to your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs and cause coughing and burns.  Ammonia at high concentrations can cause lung damage and death.

How can ammonia enter and leave my body?

Ammonia does not accumulate in the body.  After you breathe in ammonia, you breathe most of it out again.  The ammonia that is retained in the body is changed into ammonium compounds and carried throughout the body in seconds.  The rest of this ammonia leaves your body in urine within a couple of days.

What do I do if I am exposed to high levels of ammonia?

Move to fresh air immediately
In case of contact with substance, immediately flush skin or eyes with running water for at least 20 minutes
If you have any concerns seek medical attention