Ammonium nitrate is a globally popular fertilizer, with a market estimated to be worth 24 billion USD by 2026. It’s extremely efficient, seeing as the plants are getting a direct deposit of nitrate, as well as the ammonium compound gradually turning into nitrate too. It’s extremely soluble, meaning it dissolves in water and is well suited for irrigation systems. However, Ammonium nitrate is also 94% of what is in ANFO. ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), makes up 80% of the explosives used in North America. It’s widely applied for mining, construction, and quarrying purposes. Because it’s such a popular fertilizer, it is incredibly easy to obtain, and thus a very dangerous threat.
On August 4th of 2020, there was a deadly explosion in Beirut, a middle-eastern port. A relatively small Russian-owned cargo ship transporting 2,750 metric tons of Ammonium nitrate arrived at the port in 2013. It was on route to Mozambique, but was ordered into said port due to seafaring violations. The captain abandoned the ship and crew, and later claimed that the ship was impounded for neglecting to pay fees. The ammonium nitrate was moved to a warehouse, where it sat for six years until a faulty welding job ignited the explosive, killing at least 200 and injuring over 6,000.
Another instance of the disastrous power of ammonium nitrate was on April 16th of 1947. The industrial tragedy occurred in Texas City, a town with about the population of 16,000. Most of the people who lived there worked at chemical and petroleum plants on the harbor. A ship that frequently ported at one of the plants was carrying a monstrous load of ammonium nitrate, many times more than the amount used in the Beirut accident. While leading the ship, somebody smelled smoke. In an unknown location within the ship, a fire had obviously broken out. The captain tried to smother the fire in steam, which only turned the smoke a strange color. The strange smoke brought people from the town to watch the fire. Suddenly, the entire ship combusted. The explosion was immense, so much so that it could be heard in Louisiana, 200 miles away. One of the nearby chemical plant’s oil supply went up in flames. Nobody knows how many died, many of the identifiable remains blasted away upon the initial explosion.
In my opinion, Ammonium nitrate is far too dangerous and far too easy to get a hold of. These two events were caused by accident, however, there are many fatal tales of intentional bombings caused by this terrifying compound as well. I believe we should be putting forth an effort to find a safer fertilizer to use, as well as make the process of obtaining such a deadly chemical more difficult.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcAHNYtFCyQ
Questions:
What are your opinions of the pros and cons of Ammonium nitrate?
Should we do anything about how Ammonium nitrate is used and look for a substitute?
Should ammonium nitrate be less accessible?
Replies
I think that it is helpful to farmers but farmers need to be responsible about it and follow the regulations so it is still safe. It is dangerous because it can explode and so I think that it needs to be handled with care and safely.
I think that ammonium nitrate can be used for good but also bad things in the world. But it can also be essential for work and defense in our country. If they end up in the wrong hands it can be very dangerous and can kill many people like on April 16th, 1947.
I think that Ammonium nitrate can be dangerous and it has been proven by the accidents that there has been. Because of this I think that it is important to look for a substitute that is safer and has less risks that Ammonium nitrate.
I think Ammonium nitrate can be used for good but also be used for bad. It can be used for a lot of essential work and defense vital to our country. But it can also end up in the wrong hands up due to its availability. It could also cause accidents like the one on April 16th, 1947.
I beileve that there could be a safer more efficiant way that could be done and it could potentially replace ammonium nitrate. I personally thing it should be banned and put to an end. It is great for many things like fertilizer, but I think a safer less dangerous substatute could be created.
I agree with you on how you said that there could be a safer and more efficient way for fertilizer to be used. I also agree with how you said that it should be banned, but what will we change to so that we can still get all the good things we got out of Ammonium Nitrate without it being extremely dangerous? I also think that instead of just straight up take it away, that maybe we could come up with a better fertilizer and just slowly lean into it so that bad thing like famines don't happen as Anna said. For example, since gas cars are really bad for our environment, the government isn't forcing us into electric cars, but they are starting to get car manufacturers to make them more so that people can just slowly lean into them.
I agree with your stance, however, putting an immediate ban on Ammonium nitrate could cause catastophic concequences. It would most likely bring about famines and a dramatic increase of both poverty and unemployment.
I think that we need to make a law or something that limits or bans ammonium nitrate, or find a simillar chemical that is safer that could replace ammonium nitrate. A solution could be raising the prices, which would make it less accessible for people to buy.
While I do agree with you of the proposal of a limit or ban, I do not think raising the price is a viable option. Many farmers depend on Ammonium nitrate to be a relatively cheap, but effective fertilizer.
Pro: It's great for fertilizer. Con: It's very dangerous. I think it's fine to continue to be used as fertilizer, but should be transported more safely. I think it should be accesible but not so much at once.
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