Scientists make game-changing discovery while analyzing toxic byproduct in soil: 'It gives us hope'

Now the team is working to commercialize the science.

By Rick Kazmer
July 20, 2024

Nitrous oxide might make root canals bearable, but the world-warming gas is no laughing matter for the planet.

It is commonly called laughing gas for its ability to create a state of euphoria when inhaled. Experts at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences also know it as the "forgotten greenhouse gas," because it warms the planet around 300 times more effectively than carbon dioxide, according to a lab summary — an estimate supported by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for a 100-year time span.

Per the lab report, it represents 4.8% of Norway's heat-trapping pollution and also damages the ozone layer. That's why the researchers are growing bacteria that can consume the fume at its leading source: fertilizer.

Our growing population and food demand is a large reason why nitrous oxide has spiked in abundance during the last 200 years. Although it is not as abundant in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, nitrous oxide is potent and can linger.

More:
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/nitrous-oxide-bacteria-fertilizer-gas-pollution/