« Back to Glossary Index
It is a powerful greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for a long time (around 120 years), being, in part, responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer. Soils and oceans are the main natural sources of this gas, but it is also produced using nitrogen fertilizers, the combustion of organic matter and fossil fuels, the production of nylon, etc. N2O is a colorless, non-flammable gas, stable in the lower layers of the atmosphere, but decomposed in the upper layers (stratosphere) by chemical reactions with sunlight.
« Back to Glossary Index