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The Effects of Nitrogen Gas on Health

Nitrogen gas makes up 78 percent of the earth's atmosphere and is one of the inert gases; it does not readily combine chemically with other substances. Commercially, it is used in the production of fertilizer, ammonia and nitric acid, and it is also used as a blanketing atmosphere in industrial processes. Liquid nitrogen is used in various applications as a low-temperature refrigerant. Most of the Earth's nitrogen is in gaseous form, but it is also an important constituent of living tissues and can be found in soil and water in the form of nitrates and nitrites.

  1. Health Hazards

    • As an inert gas, the only serious health hazard gaseous nitrogen presents is as an asphyxiant. When nitrogen concentrations are high enough to reduce the available oxygen below 19.5 percent, the concentration can cause rapid suffocation. Oxygen levels below 10 percent can cause sudden unconsciousness. An oxygen deficiency produces dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, irritability and disorientation. If the situation is not remedied quickly, it can be fatal.

    Treatment

    • Administer oxygen if possible.

      The most immediate concern is to get the individual to a source of fresh air. If the individual is not breathing, artificial respiration should be used immediately. If oxygen is available it should be administered. After breathing fresh air and/or having oxygen administered, the subject should recover fairly quickly. An examination by a physician is advisable in order to discover any complications or other secondary causes.

    Health Effects of Nitrogen in Other Forms

    • In combination with oxygen, nitrogen forms nitric oxide, which is important to our immune system, nervous system and cardio-vascular systems. It also contributes to male erections through relaxation of the muscle that controls blood flow to the penis. Erectile dysfunction medications work in part by releasing nitric oxide. The enzyme that produces nitric oxide, a nitric oxide synthase, is found in abundance in the brain.

      Nitrates and nitrites, ions made up of nitrogen and oxygen, can decrease the amount of oxygen in the blood, interfere with thyroid gland function and cause a deficiency of vitamin A. They also form nitro amines which are a leading cause of cancer.

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