 Many countries are phasing out its use in consumer applications due to concerns over its potential for misuse.Ammonium nitrate is found as a natural mineral (gwihabaite – the ammonium analogue of saltpetre, which is correctly called niter, and other nitre minerals such as sodium nitrate known as nitratine) in the driest regions of the Atacama Desert in Chile, often as a crust on the ground and/or in conjunction with other nitrate, iodate, and halide minerals.Ammonium nitrate was mined there in the past, but virtually 100% of the chemical now used is synthetic.