Nitrous oxide its concentration has increased 15% since 1750, control of nitrous oxide is considered part of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. A 2008 study by Nobel Laureate Paul Crutzen suggests that the amount of nitrous oxide release attributable to agricultural nitrate fertilizers has been seriously underestimated, most of which presumably, would come under soil and oceanic release in the Environmental Protection Agency data. Nitrous oxide also has been implicated in thinning of the ozone layer. A new study suggests that emission currently is the single most important ozone-depleting substance (ODS) emission and is expected to remain the largest throughout the
Nitrous oxide used by almost half a million young people at nightspots, festivals, and parties. The legality of that use varies greatly from country to country, and even from city to city in some countries. The major safety hazards of nitrous oxide come from the fact that it is a compressed liquefied gas, an asphyxiation risk, and a dissociative anaesthetic. While relatively non-toxic, nitrous oxide has a number of recognized ill effects on human health, whether through breathing it in or by contact of the liquid with skin or eyes. Nitrous oxide is a significant occupational hazard for surgeons, dentists, and nurses.