Is Ammonia Toxic?
At high concentrations, ATSDR says it can be. It says no health effects have been found in humans exposed to typical environmental concentrations of ammonia, but that high levels in air may irritate the skin, eyes, throat and lungs and cause coughing and burns, and that lung damage and death may occur after exposure to very high concentrations. Swallowing concentrated solutions can burn the mouth, throat and stomach, and splashing ammonia into the eyes can cause burns and even blindness, according to ATSDR.
ATSDR describes ammonia as a colorless gas with a very distinct odor, familiar from smelling salts, household and industrial cleaners and window-cleaning products. The CDC compares the smell to rotting fish, says ammonia is commonly used as a liquid mixed with water, such as household ammonia, and lists chlorine bleach among the substances ammonia reacts with.
For first aid, the CDC says that if your eyes are burning or you cannot see normally, wash them for 10 to 15 minutes with lukewarm water and do not use eye drops. New Jersey's Department of Health says that for skin contact with ammonium hydroxide, a solution of ammonia in water used in household cleaners, you should quickly remove contaminated clothing, wash the skin with large amounts of soap and water and seek medical attention. If ammonia from household cleaners is released indoors, the CDC says to open windows and doors to let in fresh air and leave the area until the gas has gone away.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceATSDR describes ammonia as a colorless gas with a very distinct odor, familiar from smelling salts, household and industrial cleaners, and window-cleaning products. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says no health effects have been found at typical environmental concentrations of ammonia, but high levels in air may irritate skin, eyes, throat and lungs, and very high concentrations may cause lung damage and death. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceATSDR says swallowing concentrated ammonia solutions can burn the mouth, throat and stomach, and splashing ammonia into the eyes can cause burns and even blindness. ATSDR, CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe CDC says ammonia smells like rotting fish, reacts with substances including chlorine bleach, and is commonly used as a liquid mixed with water, such as household ammonia. CDC ↗
- Government sourceThe CDC says that if ammonia leaves your eyes burning or you cannot see normally, wash them for 10 to 15 minutes with lukewarm water and do not use eye drops. CDC ↗
- Government sourceNew Jersey's Department of Health describes ammonium hydroxide as a solution of ammonia in water, usually up to 30 percent, used in household cleaners, and says to wash skin contact with large amounts of soap and water and seek medical attention. New Jersey Department of Health ↗
- Government sourceThe CDC says that if an ammonia release from household cleaners happens indoors, open windows and doors to let in fresh air and leave the area until the gas has gone away. CDC ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.