Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of an oxygen atom with polar bonds to two nitrogen atoms. It is a significant greenhouse gas responsible for roughly 5% of human emissions (in 2015). Nitrous oxide plays a critical role in the natural nitrogen cycle, formed primarily as a byproduct of terrestrial and oceanic bacterial processes. Atmospheric nitrous oxide may be broken down by other bacteria, UV radiation, or certain chemical reactions.

Atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide were stable prior to the industrial revolution. They have since risen dramatically, with 75% of emissions coming from agriculture practices (in 2015), followed by fossil fuel combustion. In these practices, nitrogen is used for enrichment of soils, where biological processes convert it partly into nitrous oxide. Due to agriculture’s vital role in food production, precisely measuring nitrous oxide is an important part of understanding anthropogenic forces on our changing climate.

Picarro has designed and produced several gas concentration analyzers that precisely measure nitrous oxide for laboratory and field studies.