Selkirk, Manitoba — Selkirk farmer Doug Chorney, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), a Winnipeg-based farm lobby group that is backing the proposed North Dakota Nitrogen (NPN) plant proposed for Grand Forks, recently had a first-hand lesson in nitrogen exposure. "It was operator error when I went to uncouple the quick coupler and neglected to open the valve," said Chorney, who was fertilizing winter wheat with a 28-0-0 solution. "When I opened the seal the pressure in the line caused a little splash that hit me in the face." Fortunately he was wearing sunglasses, which protected his eyes. "I went into the house, washed my face, arms, and elbows, and then went back to work. It was warm but not really hot, and I felt nothing unusual the next day driving my truck into town to get more fertilizer." However, it wasn’t long until his temperature spiked and he found himself in the emergency room. After a few days of medication and rest he was back on the farm. After telling his ag retailer the story, he was told his sudden illness was likely caused by exposure to liquid nitrogen, which, like other forms of the nutrient, draws moisture from human bodies. He said his doctors came to the same conclusion after talking with people in the industry. “The key message we’d like to get out to producers is first of all avoid getting spilled on, but if you do have an accident, get to water as fast as you can. It’s also very important to shower right away and put on clean clothes. It took me two full days to recover (because) you just don’t rehydrate yourself by having seven glasses of water.” He now carries Gatorade and water with him on his tractor.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain