On the evening of Tuesday (August 4th) local time, two big explosions occurred in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. A pink mushroom cloud rose up at the site of the incident. Several miles of windows were shattered and nearby buildings were destroyed.
According to the latest reports, the explosion has killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000. The Governor of Beirut described the explosion as a national disaster comparable to the nuclear explosions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Lebanese Interior Minister Fahmi said that the explosion may have been caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a port warehouse in 2014. In 2014, when a ship was heading to Africa, the ammonium nitrate had to be unloaded due to a problem with the ship, and then it was unloaded in Beirut Seaport Zone 12.
"A while ago, when inspecting the warehouse, it was found that the warehouse hardware facilities are in urgent need of maintenance, and the warehouse door needs to be stepped up. The relevant departments of Beirut Seaport are also required to appoint security personnel and appoint a warehouse manager to carry out warehouse maintenance."
According to a safety report, when a worker was welding a warehouse door containing explosives, welding sparks ignited the explosives in the warehouse, which caused an explosion of ammonium nitrate stored in another warehouse.
What is ammonium nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate, Ammonium nitrate, the chemical compound ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, has the chemical formula NH4NO3, which is simplified as N2H4O3. It is a white crystalline solid and highly soluble in water. It is mainly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer. The compound is used as a mining explosive and sometimes in improvised explosive devices. It is a popular explosive, the main component of explosives used in North America accounts for 80%.
Because ammonium nitrate has certain explosive properties, on September 30, 2002, China issued the State Council Document No. 52 "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening the Safety Management of Civilian Explosives" (State Council Fa [2002] No. 52), Ammonium nitrate is divided into industrial ammonium nitrate and agricultural ammonium nitrate. Industrial ammonium nitrate must be prepared and produced according to the monitoring of dangerous goods, while ammonium nitrate used in agriculture must have anti-explosion properties and cannot be separated by simple reduction.
Ammonium nitrate has also caused major accidents in our country
The tragic situation of the Tianjin Port "8·12" explosion accident in 2015 is still in the memory of the Chinese people. The accident caused hundreds of deaths and damaged a large number of buildings, cars and other items, and the economic loss caused was estimated at nearly 7 billion.
After the tragedy, the investigation team of the State Council determined that the fire and explosion accident of Ruihai Company’s dangerous goods warehouse at Tianjin Port "8·12" was caused by the spontaneous combustion of nitrocellulose in the container, which caused hazardous chemicals such as ammonium nitrate stacked in the arrival area. explosion occurs. According to reports, about 800 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored in Ruihai's warehouse at that time.
How to avoid a repeat of the tragedy?
As an important chemical raw material, ammonium nitrate is widely used downstream. In addition to being used in fertilizer, industrial and military explosives industries, it can also be used in pesticides, refrigerants, nitrogen oxide absorbents, making laughing gas, fireworks, etc. Therefore, the production, storage, transportation and use process of ammonium nitrate need to be strengthened to prevent such tragedies.
Operation precautions
Airtight operation, strengthen ventilation. Operators must undergo special training and strictly abide by operating procedures. It is recommended that operators wear self-priming filter dust masks, chemical safety glasses, polyethylene anti-virus suits, and rubber gloves. Keep away from fire and heat sources, and smoking is strictly prohibited in the workplace. Keep away from flammable and combustible materials. Avoid generating dust. Avoid contact with reducing agents, acids, and active metal powders. When handling, load and unload with care to prevent damage to packaging and containers. Equipped with corresponding types and quantities of fire-fighting equipment and leakage emergency treatment equipment. Empty containers may be harmful residues.
Precautions for storage
Store in a cool, ventilated warehouse. Keep away from fire and heat sources. It should be stored separately from easily (combustible) combustibles, reducing agents, acids, and active metal powders, and avoid mixed storage. The storage area should be equipped with suitable materials to contain the leakage. Vibration, impact and friction are prohibited.
Chemical safety is related to the stability of people's lives. I hope that governments around the world will pay more attention to reduce accidents and avoid recurrence of tragedies.
May the explosion in Lebanon be brought under control as soon as possible, mourn the victims and pray for the survivors!
Source: Mobile Public Account
