Nitrogen dioxide | chemical compound | Britannica.

Nitrogen dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is an acidic gas. NO2 dissolves very well in water react with water to give nitrous acid and nitric acid.

NO

Nitric oxide or nitrogen monoxide (NO) is a colorless gas. It has a boiling point (bp) of –151.8°C (at 1 atm) and molecular weight of 30.0 g mol−1. Because it has an odd number of electrons, NO is a very reactive molecule (a so-called radical) (Greenwood and Earnshaw, 1984).

Nitrogen dioxide poisoning is harmful to all forms of life just like chlorine gas poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning. It is easily absorbed through the lungs and its inhalation can result in heart failure and sometimes death in severe cases.

Concern has also been raised that nitrous oxide may have carcinogenic potential, especially in operating room and dental personnel who are chronically exposed to trace concentrations of this gas. However, there is no convincing evidence to date that nitrous oxide causes cancer in either animals or humans.

* Exposure to 20 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health.

Nitrogen dioxide is part of a group of gaseous air pollutants produced as a result of road traffic and other fossil fuel combustion processes. Its presence in air contributes to the formation and modification of other air pollutants, such as ozone and particulate matter, and to acid rain.

parts per million (ppm)

The term ‘nitrogen oxides’ (NOx) is usually used to include two gases-nitric oxide (NO), which is a colourless, odourless gas and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent odour. Nitric oxide reacts with oxygene or ozone in the air to form nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen oxide

Carbon monoxide (CO)—a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and toxic air pollutant—is produced in the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, oil, coal, and wood. The largest anthropogenic source of CO in the United States is vehicle emissions.

What effect does carbon monoxide have on the environment? When carbon monoxide is emitted into the atmosphere it effects the amount of greenhouse gases, which are linked to climate change and global warming. People and animals can be exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide during bushfires.

Environmental effects When sulfur dioxide combines with water and air, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the main component of acid rain. Acid rain can: cause deforestation. acidify waterways to the detriment of aquatic life.

There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration. Human sources come from activities like cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.

Carbon dioxide (CO2). A minor but very important component of the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions and through human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere by human activities. When hydrocarbon fuels (i.e. wood, coal, natural gas, gasoline, and oil) are burned, carbon dioxide is released. During combustion or burning, carbon from fossil fuels combine with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide and water vapor.