No harm done

Malay Mail: Are you worried sick that you may have consumed water contaminated by ammonia? Worry not.
Studies have shown there is no long-term effect from drinking water contaminated with ammonia.
The worst that can happen is a burning sensation in the abdominal area, similar to gastritis or gastric pains.
There would merely be a swelling in the oropharyngeal area (mouth and throat), and thus, no cause for alarm, said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Associate Professor Dr Salmaan Hussain Inayat Hussain.
“Ammonia diluted in water does not pose a serious threat as the substance will not stay long in the body.
“It will be excreted within days as the body can handle the ammonia intake through its buffering system,” said the university’s head of Environmental Health Programme.
However, Dr Salmaan, who is one of only two registered toxicologists in the country, said ammonia gas on its own, posed a greater threat to the human body.
He said studies had shown that ammonia in the air with more than 300 parts per million (ppm) was lethal to life and health.
The threshold limit value of ammonia exposure to those working near the substance should not exceed 25 ppm in a working condition of eight hours a day. Long periods of exposure to the gas causes chronic pulmonary diseases.
“Those exposed to extreme ammonia gas will immediately feel the effect in the eyes and throat and in serious cases, will suffer tissue necrosis (death of tissue cells).
“The stomach will feel uneasy as the body chemical is reacting with the ammonia substance, and in a worse-case scenario, the stomach and intestines are damaged,” he said.
Dr Salmaan said those who have come into contact with extreme dosage of ammonia and suffering from severe gastrointestinal disorders should seek medical attention.
Ammonia gas, he said, has a strong pungent smell, is alkali-based, toxic and corrosive to some materials, colourless and dissolves in water.
“It is not a cancer-causing agent and does not pose a threat to unborn babies if consumed by pregnant woman,” said Dr Salmaan