MEC&F Expert Engineers : CHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN BLEACH AND AMMONIA SICKENS OFFICERS, INMATES AT THE YORK COUNTY JAIL IN ALFRED, MAINE

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

CHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN BLEACH AND AMMONIA SICKENS OFFICERS, INMATES AT THE YORK COUNTY JAIL IN ALFRED, MAINE






MAY 19, 2015


ALFRED, MAINE (NEWS CENTER)

Two corrections officers went to the hospital late Monday night after a chemical reaction in the laundry room of the York County Jail released a noxious gas.

Two chemicals were accidentally mixed causing the gas to fill part of the jail, jail officials said.  The inmates mixed bleach with ammonia and this created the dangerous gas.

Two inmates who were in the laundry room at the time complained of feeling sick or said they had sore throats.

Two correctional officers at the jail also were sickened by the order – also complaining of having sore throats -- and were taken to the hospital for observation.

Several fire departments from surrounding communities responded to the jail, including Alfred, Waterboro and the York County Haz-mat Team.

Crews isolated the area of the jail where the chemical reaction happened, Sheriff William King said.

The jail was also not accepting new inmates at that time of night so exposure to the gas was limited, he said.

Crews had to air out the section of the jail where reaction happened, bringing in large fans.

Around 2 a.m. Tuesday – an air quality check was performed and things were found to be safe.

The condition of the inmates and officers sickened by the gas has not yet been released.

Mixing bleach and ammonia is extremely dangerous, since toxic vapors will be produced. The primary toxic chemical formed by the reaction is chloramine vapor, with a potential for hydrazine formation. Here's a look at the chemical reactions involved in mixing bleach and ammonia, as well as some first aid advice if you accidentally become exposed to a bleach and ammonia mixture.

Chemicals Involved

Note that each and every one of these chemicals is toxic, except for the water and salt.

NH3 = ammonia
HCl = hydrochloric acid
NaOCl = sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
Cl = chlorine
Cl2 = chlorine gas
NH2Cl = chloramine
N2H4 = hydrazine
NaCl = sodium chloride or salt
H2O = water

Likely Chemical Reactions from Mixing Bleach and Ammonia

The bleach decomposes to form hydrochloric acid, which reacts with ammonia to form toxic chloramine fumes:

First the hydrochloric acid is formed:

NaOCl → NaOH + HOCl
HOCl → HCl + O

And then the ammonia and chlorine gas react to form chloramine, which is released as a vapor:

NaOCl + 2HCl → Cl2 + NaCl + H2O
2NH3 + Cl2 → 2NH2Cl

If ammonia is present in excess (which it may or may not be, depending on your mixture), toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine may be formed. 

While impure hydrazine tends not to explode, it's still toxic, plus it can boil and spray hot toxic liquid.

2NH3 + NaOCl → N2H4 + NaCl + H2O

What to Do If You Mix Bleach and Ammonia - First Aid

If you do accidentally become to exposed to fumes from mixing bleach and ammonia, immediately remove yourself from the vicinity to fresh air and seek emergency medical attention. 

The vapors can attack your eyes and mucous membranes, but the biggest threat comes from inhaling the gases.

Get away from the site where the chemicals were mixed. You can't call for help if you are overwhelmed by the fumes.

Call 911 for emergency help. If you really don't think it's that bad, then at least call Poison Control for advice on handling the after-effects of exposure and cleaning up the chemicals. The number for Poison Control is:1-800-222-1222

If you find someone who you think has mixed bleach and ammonia, chances are he or she will be unconscious. If you can, remove the person to fresh air, preferably outdoors. Call 911 for emergency assistance. Do not hang up until instructed to do so.

Thoroughly ventilate the area before returning to dispose of the liquid. Seek specific instructions from Poison Control so that you don't hurt yourself. You're most likely to make this mistake in a bathroom or kitchen, so leave and seek assistance, return later to open a window, allow time for the fumes to dissipate, and then go back to clean up. Dilute the chemical mixture with plenty of water. Wear gloves, just as you would for either bleach or ammonia.