Ammonium Nitrate Ammonium nitrate was a key ingredient in a bomb that killed hundreds of people. It is an odorless crystal salt that can be either white or grey. It is created by a combination of ammonia and nitric acid. (ammonium Nitrate fact sheet). The primary uses for this chemical are fertilizers and cold packs, as well as military explosives (Mathews J, 2014). Not only is it an oxidizer but under enough heat and pressure, it can explode (ammonium Nitrate fact sheet). This explosive property leads to it being labeled a hazardous chemical in toxicology reports. In the past it has been a part of terrorism attacks such as the Oklahoma City bombing and accidental explosions in fertilizer factories. The Oklahoma City bombing is known as …show more content…
the spark for much political debate in the United States around regulations concerning Ammonium Nitrate. Ammonium nitrate can be produced in many different forms.
Prills, granules, and crystals are primarily used in fertilizers. Low density prills and grains are the kind found in explosives (Ammonium Nitrate). Ammonium nitrate is extremely soluble, which is necessary for its use in cold packs. The ammonium nitrate is dissolved into water which causes an endothermic reaction. This means that the temperature of the cold pack will drop immediately after the two substances are mixed causing an instant cold pack (Mathews, J 2014). Fertilizers, similar to herbicides and fungicides, are chemical products used that control how a plant is able to grow. They often contain ammonium nitrate which is very beneficial to the plant (ammonium Nitrate fact sheet). In fertilizer ammonium nitrate is often combined with Urea and other chemicals, It provides nitrogen to the plant through nitrate which is much more quickly delivered at the roots, as well as ammonium nitrate which takes longer (Ammonium Nitrate Fact Sheet). Both are forms of nitrogen, whose purpose is defending against pests, new leaf growth and is part of the chlorophyll molecule that keeps the plant green among other things. It is one of the most effective and beneficial forms of plant fertilizer, and therefore extremely widely used. However the most common use for ammonium nitrate is military explosives. The form of ammonium nitrate used in explosives in called a granule, which is created by continually spraying the …show more content…
concentrated solution onto small pieces on a rotating cylinder. Then with heat and pressure, the mixture is explosive (Ammonium Nitrate). It is most effective in large quantities, explaining the substantial amount used by the military. Ammonium Nitrate is also explosive and flammable in the form found in fertilizer, just not as effective. In the Oklahoma City Bombing the majority of the ammonium nitrate used was placed in bags of fertilizer near the bomb which helped to spread the fire and amplify the explosion. There were also traces of ammonium nitrate mixed into barrels with other accelerants and mixtures (Doughtrey J, 2001). On the morning of April 19, 1995 Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols set off a bomb that killed and injured hundreds of people.
This was called the Oklahoma City Bombing. They parked a truck containing a homemade bomb in front of the federal building. The explosion covered a huge area, damaging over 300 different buildings. The main components of this bomb were diesel fuel, Nitromethane and a small concentration of ammonium nitrate. (May 21,2010). These chemicals together were a Synergistic reaction, meaning they were much more dangerous together than one alone would be. These were mixed along with other chemicals in barrels, with a total of 13. Then nine 15 pound bags of fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate were placed in the truck along with the barrels and other commercially made explosives. These bags of fertilizer were meant to act as an accelerant. A time delayed fuse was used to light the bomb that killed such a large amount of people (Doughtrey J, 2001). Both of the assailants did survive the blast but were apprehended quickly. They shared their motivation to be an act against government, sparking many counterterrorism actions in the years
after. Ammonium nitrate quickly became a political issue. In an effort to prevent further bombings similar to that in Oklahoma City, the government instituted many regulations on the sale of ammonium nitrate. Using the precautionary principle, the government decided that it would be best to regulate the use of Ammonium nitrate to prevent any possible events from occuring in the future. Toxicology of the chemical showed that it was hazardous because of its potential to be oxidizing and explosive. One regulation that was put on Ammonium Nitrate was that applying for a register number before owning a facility that uses ammonium nitrate, you also must have a register number if you intend to be purchasing large amounts regularly. Furthermore there is screening, restrictions, and other anti terrorism measures in act as well as very detailed records of who purchases ammonium nitrate. Any thefts of ammonium nitrate are high priority to ensure that it is not used in a bomb (ammonium Nitrate). Ammonium Nitrate continues to be used for military activities and weapons. This is important to the political aspect because this chemical is used by the government in great quantities so any restrictions would have a direct effect on the military use. Despite the regulations concerning buying ammonium nitrate directly, there are many people who buy it in large quantities. The agricultural industry depends on this chemical in its fertilizers. This does pose a risk however it is considered a necessary risk by the government. Ammonium nitrate, created by a combination of ammonia and nitric acid is odorless and soluble. This chemical is mass produced for fertilizers and is also used in cold packs. It is also used in military explosives. It was a main ingredient in the bomb used in the Oklahoma City Bombing and since many political regulations have been put in place regarding the use of Ammonium Nitrate. However these regulations are not very effective due to the large amounts needed for agriculture purposes. The government is doing all that it is able to in terms of safety while still keeping the regulations practical.
The fertilizer pellets used are made out of N.P.K. (Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potassium). When used properly there is no risk of over fertilizing or “burning” the plants (H. Lauffer, D. Lauffer, and Williams). The pellets are balanced proportionally and are very safe to use.
The Oklahoma City Bombing was a domestic terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 19, 1995. It was lead by Timothy McVeigh, an Army veteran of the Persian Gulf War. The explosive was a homemade bomb which was built by McVeigh and the help of Terry Nichols; the bomb consisted of a deadly cocktail and was put inside a rented Ryder truck in front of the Murrah Federal Building . McVeigh then proceeded out of the truck and headed towards his getaway car a few blocks away. He then started the detonation of the timed bomb at exactly 9:02 A.M. then the bomb exploded. To the people of Oklahoma it was a traumatizing moment for all, many lost families, dozens of cars were incinerated and more than 300 buildings were destroyed and caused about $652 million worth of damages. The “OKBOMB” affected hundreds of people; it killed “168 people -- 19 of them children -- and injured more than 500.” (CNN.com) Within 90 minutes of the explosion, McVeigh was pulled over 80 miles north of Oklahoma City by a state trooper who noticed McVeigh's missing license plate. He was later arrested for having a concealed weapon. From there, a investigation was held and agents found traces of chemicals on McVeigh’s clothing similar to the ones from the bomb. They learned that McVeigh’s plan was due to the anger over the events at Waco Siege two years earlier. The bombing investigation was one of the most exhaustive in FBI history; “the Bureau had conducted more than 28,000 interviews, followed some 43,000 investigative leads, amassed three-and-a-half tons of evidence, and reviewed nearly a billion pieces of information.” (FBI.com) Oklahoma City bombing was “considered the worst and the largest terrorist act eve...
In short, Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the worst single man act of mass murder in the United States history. McVeigh used a mixture of agricultural chemicals and diesel fuel in his homemade bomb to destroy the Oklahoma City’s Murrah Federal building on April 19th, 1995. The bombing killed 168 human lives, including 19 children. In 2001, after six years of investigations and trials, Timothy McVeigh was put to death for his evil
On 26 February 1993 at 12:17, a yellow RYDER van detonated on level B-2 of the World Trade Center North tower. What was first believed to be a below grade transformer explosion turned into an extensive test of New York Cities Incident Command capabilities. Everyone involved had an intricate part in handling this situation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was able to get all support assets there promptly to assist in rescue operations. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered information on the vehicle used. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used all of the intelligence gathered to apprehend and convict those responsible. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted cleanup of chemical and biological hazards that were left behind from the blast. Numerous agencies worked together to solve the first terrorist attack on American soil and clean up a disaster of epic proportions.
"Chemical Warfare Agents - Resources on the health effects from chemical weapons, emergency response & treatment, counterterrorism, and emergency preparedness.au.af." Specialized Information Services - Reliable information on toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and minority health. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010.
On the day of the Columbine High School Massacre, previously to the attack both Erick D. Harris and Dylan B. Klebold placed a decoy bomb in a field; they had set the bombs to explode at 11:14 to distract police officials. The two boys then headed to the school and entered the commons shortly after 11:14 a.m. and went unnoticed carrying the big duffel bags with propane bombs inside of them. They placed the two twenty pound duffel bags in the cafeteria with the bombs set to explode at 11:17 a.m. They went back outside and armed themselves, they each strapped on an arsenal covered with a trench coat, a semiautomatic, a shotgun, and a backpack full of different types of bombs. The boys then set the timers on the bombs set inside each of their cars outside the school. The boys sat outside armed waiting outside for the bombs to explode and shoot any
Outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck loaded with a diesel-fuel-fertilizer bomb then immediately fled leaving the bomb to explode minutes later. While Timothy McVeigh was trying to flee not even an hour in, he was stopped for a traffic violation.
The backpacks they carried contained pressure cooker bombs, a favorite of Islamic extremist (Nova, 2013). These pressure cooker bombs are inexpensive and relatively easy to make using tightly packed gun powder, shrapnel and an ignition device. These devices are commonly detonated using a cell phone, and video footage shows Dzhokhar using his cell phone just 30 seconds before the first device detonates (Nova, 2013). Many of the injured had BBs and other miscellaneous shrapnel indicating to investigators what was used in making the bomb. They had prepare...
On April 17, 2013, the community of West, Texas, suffered a devastating and heartbreaking event in the evening hours. After a fire broke out inside the West Fertilizer plant, a massive explosion leveled the facility, caused millions of dollars in damage to surrounding buildings, and took the lives of over a dozen people. Sadly, the majority of those killed were volunteer firefighters who had responded to the fire and were unable to retreat to a safe distance before the explosion. Nearly 200 injuries were also reported to have been treated at local hospitals (Wood, 2013). The explosion was said to be caused by the combination of the fire and large stores of ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the plant.
The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests are used to determine if the fish’s environment is safe to live in or if the water is too toxic. Ammonia and nitrite are very toxic while nitrate is mostly harmless. To eliminate these chemicals, adding more bacterial supplement will cause the cycle to continue at a faster rate. These tests also show how the nitrogen cycle is progressing in the tank. As the cycle progresses, ammonia will decrease while nitrite increases. Then nitrite decreases and nitrate increases. Then nitrate decreases and your tank should be balanced.
People around the world often get together under the most negative circumstances. Once a disaster strikes many will gather in order to help the best that they could. The Oklahoma City bombing is only one of these events which occurred almost 19 years ago. At exactly 9:02 am a bomb was detonated on April 19, 1995. This mass murder was considered the largest terrorist attack before the September 11 attacks in 2001. The bomb was located in a rental truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The nation shook as each floor of the building collapsed. The main suspect was a former army soldier, Timothy McVeigh was all to blame with a few accomplices by his side. This attack occurred due to a mixture of both diesel fuel and fertilizer in the powerful bomb. As will become evident the Oklahoma City bombing resulted in panic worldwide, increased security, government legislations and injuries that will impede the lives of hundreds for years to come. Shortly after the bombing occurred the investigation commenced with hundreds of people rummaging through the collapsed establishment looking for survivors. Many authors suggest that McVeigh and his accomplices, Terry Nichols and Micheal Fortier left many pieces of evidence behind which led to their fast discovery. McVeigh was convicted of murder and received the death penalty by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. His accomplices however did not receive the punishment they deserved since Nichols who helped create the bomb only received multiple life sentences and Fortier who was aware of the bomb plot was given 12 years in jail. Some of McVeigh’s motives included his obsession with guns growing up, his distrust in the federal government as well as his rage ...
Gillam, C. M. (2013, May 7). Ammonium nitrate stores exploded at Texas plant: state agency. Reuters.
- The amount of times the mixture was stirred. We stirred the mixture until the Ammonium Nitrate was dissolved, so the amount of times we stirred after each teaspoon was different.
Sodium Nitrates and Nitrites, are two of the most common food additives in America. Nitrites are compounds consisting of one nitrogen atom and two oxygen atoms, while nitrates contain one nitrogen atom, and 3 oxygen atoms. These additives are most commonly used in processed meat products in order to increase shelf life and give these processed meats their distinctive red color and flavor. (UK Food Guide) Nitrates, and Nitrites are in meats such as ham, bacon, corned beef, etc. These additives stop the growth of bacterial spores that cause botulism, one of the deadliest foodborne illnesses. However, what is not always known is that these additives have been proven to be carcinogenic, meaning that consumption of too much of these kinds of processed
White in colour and is usually sold in crystallized pellets or powder, urea is widely used in the agricultural industry as fertilizers. This is due to the high nitrogen content of urea where it has around 46.67% as compared to other nitrogenous fertilizer where ammonium nitrate contains only 35.00% and ammonium sulphate 21.21%. This makes urea the highest amount of nitrogen per mass total among the three and is the lowest cost per pound nitrogen. (D.W. James, 2010)