Why measure ammonia?
Ammonia is a primary eye and upper respiratory tract irritant. An unpublished study conducted by the Detroit Department of Health and cited by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) (1986/Ex. 1-3, p. 27) reports that ammonia concentrations in the range of 20 to 25 parts per million (ppm) elicited complaints of discomfort from workers engaged in blueprinting and copying operations. In addition, a study of pigs conducted by Stombaugh et al. (1969) appeared to demonstrate that exposure to ammonia also causes systemic effects. Thus the ACGIH established both an 8-hour standard of 25 ppm to protect against chronic effects and a 35-ppm short-term standard to protect against ammonia?s irritant effects. A high alarm level of 100 ppm has been established, and a low alarm level of 3 ppm. Typically, the maximum daily concentrations at the ConocoPhillips-Rodeo refinery fenceline are below 0.05 ppm.
