What harm is nitrogen causing to the environment?

Question

Please explain. This is a serious question.

Answer 1

Tough question. Nitrogen makes up 80% of the air we breathe. Nitrogen is integral in all living things (and dead things like oil and coal). There are NOx's, amines, cyans, etc. Most nitrogen compounds are assimilated by plants via nitrogen fixing bacteria - acting as fertilizers. Plants grow bigger, die sooner and are broken down by bacteria. If this takes place in water, it depletes the dissolved oxygen and turns the body into a swamp. On land, the nutrients return to the nitrogen cycle.

Burning fossil fuels releases NOx's (nitrogen oxides, that fall to earth as acid rain - sometimes harmful, sometimes not (we have lots of limestone around here). Much of the brown constituent of smog is nitric oxide. No good for you to breathe. Then it's back to the nitrogen fixing cycle again.

Answer 2

Nitrogen oxides are broken down rapidly in the atmosphere by reacting with other substances commonly found in the air. The reaction of nitrogen dioxide with chemicals produced by sunlight leads to the formation of nitric acid, which is a major constituent of acid rain. Nitrogen dioxide also reacts with sunlight, which leads to the formation of ozone and smog conditions in the air we breathe.

Answer 3

In water, nitrogen leads to eutrophication....which means increase in compounds containing nitrogen...which in turn increases the number of algae present in the water...which in turn depletes oxygen from the water, thus leaving less oxygen for fish.

Answer 4

Nitrogen in what form?

Answer 5

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Answer 6

N2... no harm at all. appx 75% of the atmosphere is N2

Nitrous oxide.... debateable. its not produced in high quantities by natural means... But it biodegrades.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

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