The vehicle was packed with nearly 2,300kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser mixed with fuel oil and attached to blasting caps. It is many times larger than the most powerful conventional airdropped bomb in the U.S. arsenal, which was used in combat for the first time in 2017. Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer are dispalyed in an agricultural trader in Vieillevigne, France, October 7, 2016. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/08/deadly-history-ammonium-nitrate-explosive-linked-to-beirut-blast.html, math pioneered in the 1940s to infer the atomic bomb’s yield. If the name sounds familiar it's because the chemical is notorious. Documents unearthed by Al Jazeera say the ammonium nitrate arrived in Beirut aboard a Russian-owned cargo ship after the vessel experienced mechanical problems at sea. Other health issues, akin to those seen after 9/11, may emerge given the widespread destruction to buildings and roads. What Is Ammonium Nitrate, Blamed in the Beirut Explosion? Ammonium nitrate: what is it and why did it cause the blast in Beirut? EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; Explosion Hazard from Ammonium Nitrate. An ammonium nitrate explosion produces massive amounts of nitrogen oxides. Ammonium nitrate has caused similar explosions in the past – including the Texas City Disaster of 1947, when almost nearly 500 people were killed in an explosion … By comparing the blast’s size against nearby buildings, video of the Beirut incident shows that in the eighth of a second after the explosion occurred, its spherical shockwave grew to roughly 800 feet wide. The colossal explosion in Lebanon’s capital this week was apparently caused when more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated. "If the pictures are right, this was something meant to be an oxidizer used with other agents," such as explosives used for mining, he says. The gas released from the decomposing fertiliser is what drives the explosion. Many Americans were introduced to the dangers of ammonium nitrate from the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla. by white supremacists in 1995. The shipment was eventually abandoned, and its cargo moved into the hangar where it remained, despite Lebanese custom officials requesting its disposal on at least six different occasions, according to The New York Times. … It also destroyed Texas City in 1947 and the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Add enough of the oxidizer to a fire, and it will trigger an explosion. Ammonium nitrate stored at site of massive Beirut explosion: Officials At least 70 are dead and more than 3,500 are injured, authorities say. It has some military applications as well. But the Beirut explosion was far smaller than the 15,000-ton TNT equivalent of the smallest nuclear weapon ever used in war, which was dropped on Hiroshima 75 years ago this Thursday. Lebanese port officials said they made several requests to the courts to have the stockpile removed, but got no response. An explosion occurred in a warehouse storing some 300 metric tons of ammonium nitrate in the southern French city of Toulouse. Beirut officials have identified ammonium nitrate as the base component of Tuesday's explosion. “Ammonium nitrate does not degrade with time under normal storage conditions,” he says. Blast calculations suggest that at sea level, an explosion like Beirut’s would require about 1,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. Die Explosion war noch im 300 Kilometer entfernten München zu hören. When combined with fuel oils, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used by the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups like the Taliban for improvised explosives. In ordinary circumstances, ammonium nitrate is fertilizer. Using math pioneered in the 1940s to infer the atomic bomb’s yield, experts can analyze videos of a shockwave to get rough estimates of an explosion’s total energy and how much material blew up. Videos posted online from the Beirut waterfront on Aug. 4 showed an epic disaster unfold with terrifying speed. A devastating explosion of an enormous amount of ammonium nitrate killed more than 200 people and injured at least 6,000 at the port of Beirut on the … Experts believe the cause of the explosion is linked to 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at a warehouse at the port in Lebanon's capital since 2014. 2,750 tons of the chemical that had been stored in a Beirut warehouse blew up, killing dozens of people and injuring many more Piling up large amounts of ammonium nitrate allows more heat to be contained for longer when a mixture burns. And just five years ago, an estimated 800 tons of ammonium nitrate fueled a warehouse explosion that leveled part of a port in the Chinese city of Tianjin, killing 173. Stored ammonium nitrate is a major fire hazard . While ammonium nitrate can in fact put out a fire, if the chemical itself is contaminated, for example with oil, it becomes highly explosive. Pure ammonium nitrate is not an explosive on its own. Ammonium nitrate appears to be the cause of the huge explosion that has left large parts of Beirut ruined and at least 100 people dead. The biggest ammonium nitrate explosion that has taken place was the Texas City explosion on April 16, 1947. All rights reserved. Images from Beirut reveal a … Ammonium Nitrate consumption is broken down as 78 percent for fertilizer applications and 22 percent for explosives. In the United States, the Espionage Act of 1917 gave the Coast Guard strict regulatory oversight of all port facilities — specifically to prevent large explosions such as the one in Beirut. A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4. Two tons of the fertilizer were mixed with diesel fuel to create a bomb placed inside a rental truck that detonated in front of the building. The energy of the detonation wave causes the ammonium nitrate to vaporise - becoming a gas in an instant. Ammonium nitrate, which is used in fertilizers and bomb making, is a salt made from ammonium and nitric acid, and it is highly explosive. If the ammonium nitrate in Beirut was stored in wooden or cardboard containers, it would have made the substance incredibly flammable, says Jimmie Oxley, a chemist at the University of Rhode Island. Auch die Druckwelle aus Beirut sei laut Medienberichten noch im 200 km entfernten Zypern zu spüren gewesen. The huge change in phase creates a shockwave.”. The Biggest Ammonium Nitrate Explosions since 2000. Yes. The S.S. Grandcamp—carrying ammonium nitrate, fuel, and ammunition—arrived at the Houston-area port with smoke spewing from its cargo hold. The scale of the damage — from the epicenter of the explosion at the port of Beirut to the windows blown out kilometers (miles) away — resembles other blasts involving the chemical compound commonly used … Beirut mayor Marwan Abboud told Agence France-Presse that 300,000 people are unable to return to their homes, as the damage covered half the city and could cost up to $15 billion to repair. Hence, the standard ammonium nitrate explosive mixture is termed ANFO, for an “ammonium nitrate fuel oil” mixture. “The human impact of it is the important thing, and it affected people a dozen kilometers away.”. Since 1916, the chemical has been responsible for at … It is used in fertilisers and explosives, as well as a … Though Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, estimates it’s probably closer to 400 tons. Injuries surpassed more than 5,000; the blast destroyed 500 homes and the smoke from it billowed for days. Ammonium nitrate was also involved in that explosion. Reconstructing exactly what went wrong in Beirut will be difficult, but Chavez says officials should look for evidence of improper storage, confinement, contamination, lack of ventilation, and potential sources of ignition. “All kinds of other materials probably ignited and burned,” says Beaudoin. “It’s the biggest explosion in an urban area in decades,” he said. In 2015, disaster struck in Tianjin, China, when a fertilizer explosion killed 165 people at a busy seaport. When something burns, it requires oxygen—that’s why fire extinguishers can easily put out flames by smothering them. It’s known to predispose people to the worst effects of respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. The fertilizer arrived in the city more than six years ago aboard a Russian-owned cargo ship that made an unscheduled stop in the city. John Ismay was a bomb disposal officer in the U.S. Navy before he became a reporter for The Times Magazine’s At War section. Former justice minister and ex-Internal Security Forces head Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said Thursday that he has testified before Judge Fadi Sawwan that Iran had sent the ammonium nitrate shipment that eventually caused the August 4 catastrophic explosion at Beirut’s port. Cell phone videos also show the shockwave and dust cloud rushing through the portside buildings, leaving behind scenes of carnage in the Lebanese capital. “It’s relatively difficult to make pure ammonium nitrate go off unless you add things to it and cook it in a giant fire,” says Davin Piercey, a chemist at Purdue University. However, if it is contaminated with impurities, the risk of it detonating increases. Annually, the world produces and stores enormous amounts of ammonium nitrate—more than 20 million tons in 2017. If the name sounds familiar it's because the chemical is notorious. In 2013, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, caught fire and exploded, killing 15 people. The force of the ammonium nitrate explosion is provided by the rapid generation of gas as it breaks down. According to the Lebanese government, about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer was stored in a warehouse on the Beirut waterfront and caught fire, later exploding. Burning ammonium nitrate in an open field, for instance, isn't likely to result in an explosion, Rae said. In 1947, an explosion in Texas City, Texas, killed at least 581 people and wounded 3,500 after two cargo ships carrying ammonium nitrate caught fire. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a red, bad-smelling gas. Investigators confirmed that ammonium nitrate was … © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- There are several documented examples of deadly ammonium nitrate fire and explosion incidents in the past, some with large numbers of fatalities like in China in 2015 and in Texas in 1947. Chinese authorities claimed the first explosion had been triggered after the heat of summer caused a highly flammable compound called nitrocellulose to spontaneously catch fire. The ensuing explosion killed some 600 people, including everyone on the dock and ship. In 2013, ammonium nitrate caused a deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the surrounding area on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the heart of the Lebanese capital. One is by some type detonation or initiation because the storage comes in contact with explosive mixture. Videos captured the toll of the deadly blast in Beirut that killed dozens of people and injured thousands. This recent tragedy is devastating, and unfortunately, it’s not the first time this dangerous chemical compound has caused widespread damage. While it is difficult to precisely calibrate the force of the Beirut explosion, the U.S. military offers a formula that allows bomb technicians a quick way to calculate the power of a blast with just paper and pencil, by converting the weight of a known quantity of explosives to that of TNT. Compared to most combustible materials, ammonium nitrate itself is not exceptionally explosive. Maritime traffic services and documents obtained by CNN describe a shipment of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that was detained in Beirut in … Rescuers searched for survivors in Beirut in the morning after a cataclysmic explosion at the port sowed devastation across entire neighbourhoods, killing more than 100 people, wounding thousands and plunging Lebanon deeper into crisis. There were 2,750 tons of the fertilizer in the Beirut warehouse, roughly equivalent to 1,155 tons of TNT, which would produce a large enough blast wave to destroy most buildings within around 800 feet, and would shatter glass far beyond a range of 1.25 miles. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt across the city. The site, which belonged to … The ammonium nitrate never made it to Mozambique, the source said, and instead was kept in a container at Beirut's port for over six years before exploding earlier this week. But David Chavez, an explosives scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, doubts that scenario. Since 1916, the chemical has been responsible for at least 30 disasters, some accidental and some intentional. Seventy-five years later, National Geographic revisits the elusive horror of Hiroshima. If mixed with ingredients like fuel or some other contaminants, or because of some other external factors, it can be very explosive. It was used by white supremacists to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla. in 1995. That bomb, the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast, has a net explosive weight of 18,700 pounds or roughly 9.35 tons of TNT, according to data from the U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center. Lebanon explosions: Ammonium nitrate - Fertilizer behind many industrial accidents Lebanon explosion: Massive Beirut blast kills more than 70, injures thousands The top devices for e-learning The explosion of large storage can happen primarily in two ways. What detonated the explosive compound remains unclear—but the Beirut blast is not the first time ammonium nitrate has led to calamity. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a red, bad-smelling gas. Videos taken closer to the explosion showed how a wall of compressed air shattered everything in its path as it moved closer, eventually sending the cameras themselves flying. The captain closed the hold and pumped in pressurized steam. Lebanese officials say ammonium nitrate, a substance used as fertilizer in agriculture, likely caused the massive explosion in Beirut. Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), prepared from ammonium nitrate and calcium carbonate, is used in some cases as an alternative to ammonium nitrate. Even a small amount of contamination would have made the ammonium nitrate more likely to detonate. The monster explosion that destroyed a good bit of Beirut was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of the fertilizer ammonium nitrate – a ghastly amount of one seriously scary chemical. Two days later, the death toll rose to at least 130 people with another 5,000 injured. Lebanon explosion: What is ammonium nitrate, which authorities claim to be behind the blast AFP Washington, August 05, 2020 08:54 IST Updated: August 05, … But the chemical has a more nefarious use -- as an explosive. In 1947, an explosion in Texas City, Texas, killed at least 581 people and wounded 3,500 after two cargo ships carrying ammonium nitrate caught fire. But if added to a fuel source, and subjected to intense stresses like heat and pressure, it can explode. Heating also poses a danger: ammonium nitrate decomposes at around 230˚C, and can explode when heated to between 260–300˚C if it’s confined. Lebanese authorities are blaming the incident on more than 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, a substance commonly used in fertilizers as well as in explosives for mining and construction projects. Damaged areas outside of the port of Beirut on Wednesday. “Ammonium nitrate is derived from the reaction between ammonia and nitric acid. Aluminum sulfate has also been used as a drying additive for ammonium nitrate. McVeigh left the truck after setting a five-minute fuse to detonate the mixture. Ammonium nitrate, by itself, is relatively harmless. powerful explosion that devastated the city. Ammonium nitrate is used in fertilizer and in the mining industry as an explosive to blast rock and move mounds of earth. The chemicals reportedly have been sitting by the docks since 2013. The huge explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital on Tuesday is thought to have been caused by ammonium nitrate. The ammonium nitrate never made it to Mozambique, the source said, and instead was kept in a container at Beirut's port for over six years before exploding earlier this week. Though ammonium nitrate was first synthesized in 1659 by German chemist Johann Rudolf Glauber, it wasn’t used in explosives until World War I, when weapon makers mixed it with TNT (aka dynamite) to make cheaper bombs. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in recent history, according to Brian Castner, lead weapons investigator for Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Team. There were 2600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on board. The blast registered as magnitude 3.3 on the Richter scale, and caused devastation usually associated with major earthquakes. This week, a massive explosion involving ammonium nitrate rocked the city of Beirut, sending shock waves through the media.. That partly depends on the enforcement of safety regulations, which can vary by country. And just five years ago, an estimated 800 tons of ammonium nitrate fueled a warehouse explosion that leveled part of a port in the Chinese city of Tianjin, killing 173. 559 Menschen wurden durch die Explosionen getötet und … The explosion in Beirut is far from the first time something disastrous has happened as a result of ammonium nitrate being stored improperly. Solution for Ammonium nitrate is an explosive and a fertilizer. What detonated the explosive compound remains unclear—but the Beirut blast is not the first time ammonium nitrate has led to calamity. EPA 550 … The monster explosion that destroyed a good bit of Beirut was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of the fertilizer ammonium nitrate – a ghastly amount of one seriously scary chemical. It is classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the United Nations classification of dangerous goods. The chemical is often used as fertilizer — and in explosives. But when placed under stress of heat and pressure, it acts like a bomb. The cargo ship Grandcamp was in Texas City harbor being loaded when a fire was detected in the hold. This week, a massive explosion involving ammonium nitrate rocked the city of Beirut, sending shock waves through the media.. In these cases (e.g., an explosion in 1977), the explosions of ammonium nitrate occurred as a result of excessively high temperatures and confinement during processing. Ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse linked to catastrophic Beirut explosion By Helen Regan , Tamara Qiblawi, Ghazi Balkiz, Ben Wedeman and Luke McGee, CNN Updated 0857 GMT (1657 HKT) August 6, 2020 It was carrying 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, an industrial chemical commonly used around the world as a fertilizer -- and in explosives for mining. Ammonium nitrate is the ammonium salt derived from nitric acid, a corrosive substance which is toxic when inhaled. Lebanese officials say ammonium nitrate, a substance used as fertilizer in agriculture, likely caused the massive explosion in Beirut. The decomposition temperature of pure ammonium nitrate is 170 °C, but recently Gunawan and Zhang [6] calculated that an intimate mixture of ammonium nitrate and pyrite can decompose at temperatures as low as 50 °C in blast holes more than 0.2 m in diameter. While these alternatives have helped, it is important to note that unintended impurities in the manufacturing process may reduce its stability or facilitate explosion. Or, this discrepancy might mean that the material inside the warehouse was not pure ammonium nitrate, and some other compound was involved with the blast. Oxidizers do the opposite: They increase the amount of oxygen molecules that concentrate in a space, which helps make other substances more flammable. The Great Explosion: On April 2, 1916, at 14:20, a factory in Uplees, Faversham, exploded … The ammonium and nitrate molecules break down, and a large amount of oxygen gas is suddenly formed. When combined with fuel oils, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used by the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups like the Taliban for improvised explosives. By contrast, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 had a yield of at least 13,000 tons of TNT. Ammonium nitrate would only explode on its own if its temperature was rapidly raised to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. But how can such a chemical cause such a massive and destructive blast? Some internet rumors speculate that because the ammonium nitrate was left to sit in a warehouse for several years, it would have degraded, becoming more volatile and increasingly dangerous over time. “It will oxidize that fuel very rapidly, create a huge amount of gas, and give off a huge amount of heat. In 2013, ammonium nitrate caused a deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. Explosions of ammonium nitrate, involving relatively small quantities, have occurred during the preparation of nitrous oxide. The deadly explosion in Beirut, and the reddish plumes of smoke that followed, showed telltale signs of an ammonium nitrate blast, experts said. September 1921 im Werk der Badischen Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik in Oppau, das heute zu Ludwigshafen am Rhein gehört. Perhaps the closest comparison to Beirut's explosion, in terms of scale, is a blast in Texas City in 1947, which was caused by 2,300 US tons (about 2,087 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate. Blast was a store of about 2,750 tonnes of seized ammonium nitrate, a corrosive substance which is when. Instance, is n't likely to result in an explosion of large storage can happen in... It belongs to a fuel source, and a fertilizer is broken down as 78 percent fertilizer. 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