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What Are the Dangers of Nitrogen Gas?

Nitrogen in its gaseous form is a nontoxic, odorless and colorless gas that is often stored in pressurized cylinders. Nitrogen gas is often referred to as inert, and makes up around 78 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, totaling around 4,000 trillion tons, according to Iowa State University.

  1. Nitrogen

    • The chemical element nitrogen was discovered in 1772 by a Scottish physician named Daniel Rutherford. Nitrogen is used in a large number of applications, including the production of fertilizers, explosives and cryogenic liquids. The ability of liquid nitrogen to lower temperatures can result in a number of injuries, including burns to hands, fingers and other areas of human skin.

    Asphyxiation

    • One of the major dangers of nitrogen gas is the inhalation of the gaseous form of the chemical in large quantities. When combined with oxygen, nitrogen gas does not cause any major breathing problems for human beings. However, when oxygen levels are lowered to life threatening levels nitrogen gas can cause health problems and in extreme cases death. If oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent and are replaced by nitrogen gas, a human being can lose consciousness, experience nausea and drowsiness and his lips skin can turn blue.

    Fire

    • There is little risk of danger from the exposure of nitrogen to fire, as the National Fire Protection Association gives the gas a flammability rating of 0. The potential hazards of nitrogen gas are so low that the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agency does not require an emergency management plan in case of an accident in environments where nitrogen is used. However, when nitrogen is exposed to high temperatures and comes into contact with ozone, it can oxidize explosively. And when heated with carbon in the presence of alkalis or barium oxide, nitrogen gas can produce levels of cyanide that can be dangerous to human beings, reports the U.S. Department of Labor.

    Exposure

    • Workers and employees are most commonly exposed to nitrogen gas in manufacturing environments. It is used in the manufacture of incandescent lamps and explosives. When cylinders are exposed to high temperatures and fire, pressurized containers can become unstable, with pressurized material vented from the cylinder at high temperatures in an explosive manner.

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