LAUGHING GAS IS BIGGEST THREAT TO OZONE LAYER

BY EMERAD-NGATSE

INTRODUCTION:Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, nitro, or NOS is a chemical compound with the formula N2O. It was first discovered in 1793 by the English scientist Joseph Priestly and has been used for more than 150 years. At room temperature, it is a colorless, non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste Nitrous oxide gives rise to NO (nitric oxide) on reaction with oxygen atoms, and this NO in turn reacts with ozone. As a result, it is the main naturally occurring regulator of stratospheric ozone. It is also a major greenhouse gas and air pollutant. Considered over a 100-year period, it has 298 times more impact per unit mass (global warming potential) than carbon dioxide. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medications needed in a health system.

USAGE OF NITROUS OXIDE

IN MEDECINE

It used most widely as:anesthetics in dental applications.and also surgery.

IN MECHANICS

It is used in order  to Increase Horsepower (power of the engine)

IN AGRICULTURE

It helps: as a synthetic fertilizer. In greater crop yields. in an intensive farming practices.

Greenhouse gas

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced naturally when nitrogen in soil or water is eaten by bacteria. It rises into the stratosphere, where most of it is broken down into harmless molecules of nitrogen and oxygen by the sun's rays.

But some of it remains, and can survive for hundreds of years. The compound reacts with high-energy oxygen atoms to produce a deadlier compound, nitric oxide (NO). This then goes on to destroy ozone, a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. 

Nitrous oxide is potential to deplete ozone and it is comparable to other ozone-depleting substances, called hydroCFCs, that replaced CFCs but are also in the process of being phased out.

Conclusion

To sum up, nitrous oxide is known as "laughing gas" due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it, a property that has led to its recreational use as a dissociative anaesthetic. It is also used as an oxidizer in rocketry and in motor racing to increase the power output of engines. And also in agriculture as fertilizer. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen.

However, even if nitrous oxide is used in medicine, mechanics and agriculture with positive results. It still represents a very big danger because people tend to minimize its side effect mostly on ozone layer and focus only on its positive part.

Thus, we should pay more attention to the way we use that gas and most importantly have in mind that due to its quantity and the effect which it has on ozone layer it’s the biggest treat to that layer and contribute a lot in the change of climate. So we need to stop using or at least reduce its usage.