J&K Doctor With Ammonium Nitrate Arrested Near Delhi: How Dangerous Is It?

Three hundred and fifty kilograms of ammonium nitrate – an odourless, white crystalline chemical that is a powerful oxidiser and, under the right conditions, can cause a massive explosion – were recovered from Faridabad near Delhi Sunday night, leading to alarm bells around the national capital.

Police said an assault rifle and some ammunition, and explosive timers were also recovered from; this was after another assault rifle and some more ammo was found from a locker assigned to a Mujahil Shakeel at the Government Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.

Sources said had the recovered amount been detonated (by combining it with an explosive) the blast radius could have ranged from 50 to 100 metres, within a third of which there would have been 'total destruction'. Damage could have been caused to structures even within 120 metres of the explosion.

The recovery was made by Jammu and Kashmir Police based on intel from Adil Ahmad Rahter, a terrorist arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, for allegedly pasting posters in Srinagar in support of banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed is responsible for multiple attacks on India, including the 2001 Parliament assault and in Pulwama in 2019.

What is ammonium nitrate?

In simple terms it is a salt consisting of one ion each of ammonium and nitrate that is formed by the reaction of ammonia (NH3) and nitric acid (HNO3), which gives it the formula NH4NO3.

The high levels of ammonium and nitrate content make it an effective and widely-used fertiliser and, because it is a salt, it is water-soluble, making it suitable for use in irrigation systems.

Indeed, much of the world's food supply still relies on nitrate-based fertilisers.

Chemical formula for ammonium nitrate.

But it is also an oxidiser, meaning it supplies oxygen to support combustion.

There are two ways ammonium nitrate can detonate.

The first is when it is exposed to fire or it mixes with a combustible substance during a fire, the most horrific recent example of which was in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in August 2020, in which more than 200 people were killed and over 6,000 injured after a fire ignited 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate.

The substance had been stored in a port warehouse for over six years, Lebanese officials said.  

A destroyed silo at the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut

A similar tragedy too place at the port in Tianjin in China in August 2015.

Two explosions took place 33 seconds apart; the second involved about 800 tons of ammonium nitrate. Chinese government data said 173 people were killed and 800 injured.

The Tianjin explosions also sparked fears of toxic pollutants in the air.

The other way it can detonate is when it mixes with an explosive substance.

Then it becomes a cheaply-made bomb that can cause significant damage.

This version is called ANFO, or ammonium nitrate fuel oil, and is used in controlled scenarios in various industries, such as construction and mining.

In fact, ammonium nitrate can be mixed with almost any kind of volatile substance. But the quality is important, since pure NH4NO3 is chemically and thermally stable, meaning it requires an external detonation. A stronger initial detonation is more likely to result in a larger and more stable explosion.

But, once detonation is achieved, ammonium nitrate's incendiary character takes over.

It is important to note that NH4NO3 is not a true explosive by itself.

If kept safely, and away from high heat, it is actually quite difficult to ignite. Incorrect storage, though, can lead it to deteriorate, rapidly, and that was the reason behind industrial accidents, like in Beirut.

Is sale ammonium nitrate of regulated in India?

Yes. Under rules framed in 2012, which sit within the Explosives Act of 1884, and "any combination with more than 45 percent of ammonium nitrate by weight including emulsions, suspensions, melts or gels (with or without inorganic nitrates) shall be called an explosive".

Licenses are required to manufacture and handle the chemical, and there are rules regulating how it is stored, transported, and/or sold. These include restrictions on storing them in populated areas. And, of course, import and export of ammonium nitrate is tightly controlled.

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