ssdd - 7-7-2007 at 15:01
So this morning I was cleaning out a latrine at a camp I work at. I was using bleach to clean the surfaces inside. Now I poured a small quantity of
bleach into a urinal to make it smell a bit better. When I did this a cloud of white gas was released with much fizzing.
My guess would be that there is a high ammonia content in stale urine is high enough to release the chlorine gas from the bleach. Now I am reading to
see how correct this is, perhaps if anyone has a way to test what the gas is with simple chemicals.
From the reading I just gathered it seems that the urea in urine has a NH2 group, could this break down into ammonia?
-ssdd
Nerro - 7-7-2007 at 16:36
Bleach reacts with the urea in the toiletbowl/urinal to form water and ClNH<sub>2</sub>. Which is toxic and stings when you inhale it.
12AX7 - 7-7-2007 at 18:20
If the urinal was flushed and not grimey I would be inclined to ask if you had an urinal cake in there at the time.
Tim
woelen - 8-7-2007 at 10:57
The white smoke is ammonium chloride, the fizzling is due to formation of N2. This is the main reaction you observe. The ammonia simply is oxidized.
If there also is urea in the urine, a similar reaction occurs, with added production of carbon dioxide, and further again N2 and NH4Cl.
But... there also is a side reaction, in which indeed NH2Cl is formed. At low pH, also NCl3 can be formed. NH2Cl is a very toxic gas, and it is a
carcinogen. NCl3 (which is less likely to be formed with the alkaline bleach) is a yellow oil, with a pungent smell, and explosive properties.
tito-o-mac - 14-7-2007 at 00:27
Wouldn't the urine be "sludgy" or a bit solidified at that pint of time?
ssdd - 21-7-2007 at 12:39
Thanks for the info guys, I've been all over the place and this is the first time I've sat down at a computer in two weeks 
So if I were to add bleach right to solid urea I should be able to obtain the same reaction?
(The urinal at the camp I work at don't flush, they just work on the concept of gravity and empty down into a pool. No urinal cakes as well.)
Hopefully I'll find the time to run some more chemistry in the upcoming weeks.