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One of the worst disasters in U.S. history involving a form of ammonia occurred in April 1947 when a ship loaded with ammonium nitrate -- a solid fertlizer composed of ammonia and nitrogen -- caught fire while docked in Texas City, Texas, in April 1947.
CNN: What is anhydrous ammonia?
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Ammonium nitrate, a solid fertilizer composed of ammonia and nitrogen, is also a component of explosives widely used in mining.
CNN: 12 bodies recovered, 60 unaccounted for after Texas blast
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Aerobic bacteria chew up the ammonia and turn it first into nitride and then to nitrate.
FORBES: Magazine Article
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"Anhydrous ammonia will burn but it is unusual for it to detonate, whereas ammonium nitrate has a track record of blowing up, " he told the BBC World Service.
BBC: Texas Waco fertiliser plant blast causes many casualties
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"Anhydrous ammonia will burn but it is unusual for it to detonate, whereas ammonium nitrate has a track record of blowing up, " explained Prof Andrea Sella, a chemist at University College London.
BBC: Texas Waco fertiliser plant blast search for survivors