Fertilizer industry occupational health hazards chemicals

1. PRESENTATION ON FERTILISER
INDUSTRY OF INDIA

2. Presentation outline
 Introduction
 What is fertilizers
 Global production and consumption of fertilizers
 Classification
 Raw Materials
 Manufacturing process
 Health hazards at workplace
 Safety measures
 Medical Surveillance
 Environmental effects

3. INTRODUCTION
 India is the third largest producer and consumer of
fertilizer in the world.
 Indian fertilizer industry started in 1906 with SSP
production facility at Ranipet near Chennai
 Started operating in a big scale since 1940s, when the
Fertilizer & Chemicals Travancore of India Ltd. and the
Fertilizers Corporation of India were set up in Kerala and
Bihar
 Total production of fertilizers in india-206.5mt per year.

4. Fertilizer
A fertilizer is any material of natural or
synthetic origin (other than liming materials)
that is applied to soils or to plant tissues
(usually leaves) to supply one or more plant
nutrients essential to the growth of plants.

5. Global production &
consumption of fertilizers

8. MAJOR PLAYERS:
 The public sector companies in Indian fertilizer market are
listed below:
 · Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL)
 · Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFC)
 · Pyrites, Phosphates & Chemicals Limited
 · Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF)
 · National Fertilizers Limited (NFL)
 · Projects &Development India Limited (PDIL)
 · The Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT)
 · Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL)
 · FCI Aravali Gypsum & Minerals India Limited, Jodhpur

9. Some Private fertilizer Companies
 The Scientific Fertilizer Co Pvt Ltd
 Coromandel Fertilizers
 Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited
 Apratim International
 Aries AgroVet
 Devidayal Agro Chemicals
 DSCL
 Gujarat State Fertilizers &Chemicals Limited
 Tata Chemicals Limited
 Chambal Fertilizers
 Nagarjuna Fertilizers and chemicals limited
 Godavari Fertilizers and Chemicals limited
 Zuari Industries limited

10. Mechanism :
Fertilizers enhance the growth of plants.
1. additives that provide nutrients to plants.
2. enhance the effectiveness of the soil by
modifying its water retention and aeration.

11. Plant Nutrients

15.  Nitrogen (N): leaf growth;
 Phosphorus (P): Development of roots,
flowers, seeds, fruit;
 Potassium (K): Strong stem growth,
movement of water in plants, promotion of
flowering and fruiting;

16. Classification of Fertilizers:
Organic Fertilizer
 Animal Waste.
&
 Plant wastes from
agriculture.
 Worm castings
Inorgnaic Fertilizer
(Synthetic)
 Nitrogen fertilizers
 Phosphate fertilizers
 Potassium fertilizers

17. Single Nutrient ("straight") Fertilizers :
-They consist of only one
nutrient component.
Multi Nutrient Fertilizers :
-They consist of two or more
nutrient components.

18. Raw Materials :
 Nitrogen source -
Natural gas(CH4) AMMONIA
Air(N2) (NH3)
 Phosphorus -Sulfur, Coal,Phosphate Rock
 Potassium – Pottassium Chloride (KCL)

19. Secondary nutrients are added to some
fertilizers to help make them more effective
 Calcium is obtained from limestone
 Magnesium - dolomite
 Sulfur is another material that is mined
and added to fertilizers

20. The Manufacturing Process :
 Nitrogen fertilizer component :
Haber–Bosch process
It is an artificial Nitrogen Fixation process -
for the production of Ammonia.
N2 + 3 H2 → 2 NH3
Typically conducted at 15–25 MPa
Between 400–500 °C (752–932 °F)

21. Haber–Bosch
CARL BOSCHFRITZ HOBER

24. Phosphorous fertilizer
component
 To isolate phosphorus from phosphate
rock, it is treated with sulfuric acid,
producing phosphoric acid.
 Some of this material is reacted further
with sulfuric acid and nitric acid to produce
a triple superphosphate, an excellent
source of phosphorous in solid form.

25. Potassium fertilizer component
 KCl can be reduced to the metal by
reaction with metallic sodium at 850°C
because the potassium is removed by
distillation
KCl(l) + Na(l) ⇌ NaCl(l) + K(g)

26. Granulating and blending
1.Method of granulation involves putting the
solid materials into a rotating drum which
has an inclined axis
2. The different types of particles are
blended together in appropriate proportions
to produce a composite fertilizer

27. Health Hazards at Workplace :
 Ammonia : (Exposure to vapour)
i. coughing, and nose and throat irritation
ii. bronchiolar and alveolar edema
iii. airway destruction resulting in respiratory
distress or failure
iv. skin and eye irritation

28. Health Hazards at Workplace :
 Phosphate :( Inhalation of dust or mists)
i. Kidney damage
ii. Osteoporosis
 NOX :
i. Airway inflammation
ii. Bronchial asthma

29. Safety Measures :
 Mechanization and automation of process.
 Enclosure and heat insulation of the plant.
 Efficient general ventilation & local exhaust ventilation
system.
 Use of PPE – protective clothing, Rubber gloves &
respirator is essential.
 Training and Health Education to Workers.
 Mock Drills & Medical surveillance.

30. Medical Surveillance
 Pre medical examination :
Candidates with history of bronchial asthma
unlikely to be a effective worker.
1. PFT
2. Audiometry

31. Medical Surveillance
 Periodic medical examination :
1. Frequency –Half yearly
2. PFT / Audiometry
3. Platelet Count
4. Blood Carboxy Hb – once in a year -
for chronic CO toxicity.

32. Environmental effects
1. WATER
2. SOIL
3. ATMOSPHERE

33. water
 high water solubility of nitrate leads to
increased runoff into surface water
 as well as leaching into groundwater,
thereby causing Ground Water Pollution
 Nitrate levels above 10 mg/L (10 ppm) in
groundwater can cause 'blue baby
syndrome' (acquired methemoglobinemia)

34. BLUE BABY SYNDROME

35. BLUE BABY SYNDROME

36. WATER POLLUTION & ITS
HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS
 kidney failure, improper mental and
physical growth, hypertension, hemoglobin
deficiency, hair loss and skin diseases.
 Cadmium toxicity is associated with
reduce fertility in women and men.

37. WATER POLLUTION & ITS
HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS
 Arsenic – Toxic anemia,
CVS / CNS disorders.
 Lead- lower the intelligence of the young
children ( Cognitive function)
slow poison for the future generation.

38. Soil
1.Acidification :
lead to decreases in nutrient availability
2.Accumulation of toxic elements :
Cadmium
cadmium in phosphorus-containing
fertilizer is about 100mg/kg
Flouride
Arsenic
chromium, and Nickel

39. Atmosphere
Through the increasing use of nitrogen
fertilizer
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) has become the
third most important Greenhouse Gas after
carbon dioxide and methane
It has a global warming potential 296 times
larger than an equal mass of carbon dioxide