General The chemistry behind the Beirut explosion Originally published on C&EN The chemistry behind the Beirut explosion. On Aug. 4, a devastating explosion struck the area around a port in Beirut. Lebanese officials are blaming the blast, which has killed over 100 people and left 300,000 homeless, on the common fertilizer compound ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). The chemistry behind ammonium nitrate’s explosive risk […] Written by Staff Writer August 10, 2020September 4, 2020