AMMONIUM SULFATE CAS N°: 7783-20-2

OECD SIDS
AMMONIUM SULFATE
Consumer exposure is low.
Ammonium salts and sulfates are abundant in the environment. Ammonium sulfate is a neutralization product of
ammonia and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. Levels of sulfate in air in Canada have been found to range from 3.0 -
12.6 µg/m 3 with a mean of 7.0 µg/m 3 . In the USA sulfate concentrations in air ranged from 0.5 - 228 µg/m 3 , with
the means ranging from 0.8-31.5 µg/m 3 . The average daily intake from air would amount to 0.02 - 0.63 µg assuming
20 m 3 of inhaled air per day. In winter indoor sulfate levels (21.6 nmol/m 3 ) were shown to be similar to outdoor
sulfate levels (30.6 nmol/m 3 ) and were predominantly of outdoor origin. The use of kerosene heaters has been
shown to increase indoor sulfate levels (82.7 nmol/m 3 ); the major form of the indoor sulfate was ammonium
sulphate.
Sulfate occurs in drinking water with a median concentration of 24 mg/l and the 99th percentile concentration of 560
mg/l as measured by the U.S. EPA in 2001. Sulfates are natural components of food; ammonium sulfate is
“generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” and approved as a food additive in the U.S. and in Europe. From these data
it can be seen that consumer exposure to sulfate is low: 453 mg per day via food, 48 mg via drinking water assuming
2 l drinking water per day and 0.63 µg per day via air assuming 20 m 3 respiratory volume. Ammonium sulfate intake
via food is 20 mg/day. Endogenous production of ammonia (4000 mg/day) is about 2 orders of magnitude higher
than exogenous intake (ammonia and ammonium) via food (20 mg/day), air (