Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) from agriculture in some locations are underestimated by 40% according to new research.
The gas is a significant threat as it contributes both to global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer.
Intensive farming and the use of nitrate fertilisers are the biggest human sources of the substance. Nitrous oxide was once used as a dental anaesthetic but there have been growing concerns about the use of what's sometimes called "laughing gas" as a legal high. There have been worries that the chemical's abuse has been linked to several deaths.
But accurately estimating and measuring emissions of N2O has proven very difficult.
Scientists have attempted to model how much is likely to be emitted by adding up the amounts of nitrogen used as a fertiliser, which is the single biggest human-contributed source.
One should be alerted from the nitrous oxide consumption even in parties, not only in agricultural fields. A British teenager was found to have a cardiac arrest due to an overconsumption of alcohol and legal high nitrous oxide. Users generally inhale the gas from a balloon, which brings a brief period of euphoria. Hallucinations may occur with heavy use. While deaths connected to the drug are relatively rare – nine were documented between 2006 and 2012 – excessive use can bring oxygen deprivation, causing loss of blood pressure, fainting, and even heart attacks.
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