title: [Ammonia and ammonium salts: remedy and poison, myth and time honored reality].
abstract: The public interest in ammonia and its salts has risen due to the recent water crisis in Israel. The focus on their regulatory and environmental aspects has been intensified due to the elevated levels of ammonium salts in the national water system, resulting in a banning of water use in the Dan district. To the public it is commonly known that ammonia is toxic. Nevertheless, the medical view regarding ammonium salts is very different from that of ammonia gas. In contrast to the hazardous ammonia gas, its salts (such as ammonium bicarbonate) are considered to be much less toxic and are widely used as medicaments and food additives. Thus, although the presence of ammonium salts in the drinking water may indicate contamination, this is not a case of poisoning associated with toxic side effects.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negey.
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shnaider
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wormser
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D005503:Food Additives; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D005503:Food Additives; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D000641:Ammonia