Nick Greene is Editor-at-Large for MentalFloss.com. He has written about trying to ride the entire New York Subway system in one day, surviving the apocalypse without a spare set of contact lenses, and whether or not Elvis was actually any good at karate. Originally from Chicago, he currently lives in Brooklyn. View the discussion thread.
Ammonia (in Cigs). Ammonia is one of the many chemicals present in cigarettes. Ammonia is a chemical compound formed from the elements nitrogen and hydrogen. It has chemical formula: NH 3. At room temperature and pressure ammonia is a gas. It is toxic (poisonous), and corrosive to some materials, and has a strong and distinctive smell.
Hemolysis increases ammonia levels because the red blood cells have about three times the ammonia level content of plasma. Muscular exertion can increase levels. Cigarette smoking can product significant increases in levels within 1 hour of inhalation. Ammonia levels may be factitiously increased if the tourniquet is too tight for a long period. Drugs that may cause increased ammonia levels include: acetazolamide, alcohol, ammonium chloride, barbiturates, diuretics (loop, thiazide), narcotics, parenteral nutrition, and valproic acid.