Where Does Nitrous Oxide Come From Naturally? [Ultimate Guide]

Do you know where does nitrous oxide come from naturally? Nitrous Oxide is a type of gas that’s used for medical purposes, and for food as well. The naturally occurring gas is actually famous when used in products such as whipped cream, as evident with the content present in the whipped cream chargers also known as nangs.

This is known to be a gas that can stabilize the whipped cream, as well as keep it free from bacteria so then it won’t spoil in a short span of time. But how do scientists and manufacturers get a hold of this very useful gas for them to sell to the public and in hospitals?

Where Does Nitrous Oxide Come From Naturally? [Top 5 Sources]

In this article, you will learn a lot about where to get this naturally occurring gas. For sure you will be surprised that nitrous oxide is something that naturally occurs even in the most common places. That’s why I am going to list down the different places where you can obtain this type of gas.

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For sure you will find out why manufacturers find it very easy to make products that contain nitrous oxide. Here are the following:

1. Manure

Manure is one of the most common sources of nitrous oxide, which proves that it is a naturally occurring gas. Manure from livestock is stored and handled in order to perfectly produce the gas. Though manure is known to be used as a fertilizer in farms, some of the manure that was not used for plants is often stored to be treated with a special process before it gets delivered to management systems for handling animal waste. The process that’s done by these systems allows the creation of a bacteria that produces the nitrous oxide gas, which is perfectly safe.

2. Fertilized Soils

At the same time, the soils that were applied with fertilizer for growing plants can also be used to generate emissions that contain nitrous oxide. Take note that fertilizers contain a vast amount of nitrogen, which is directly applied to the soil where the fertilizers were added. This is then used naturally by the soil to feed the plants, providing nutrition for them to grow at a faster rate.

The main process where fertilized soils are used to create nitrous oxide is called nitrification and denitrification, which is a microbial process that creates the gas as it gets released into the atmosphere. Animal waste management systems also use this on manure that’s not applied to soils, too.

Another known method of taking nitrous oxide off the fertilized agricultural soils is through the use of a leaching process. To do so, irrigation water or simply rainfall is required in order to take the fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen. This process produces more nitrous oxide compared to the methods discussed above because the water breaks down the microbes in order to increase the rate of nitrous oxide emissions.

3. The Atmosphere

The atmosphere itself is also a known source of nitrous oxide, but it requires a naturally occurring chemical process for the sky to produce it. The process involves the ammonia present in the atmosphere, which enters an oxidation process to release the emissions. Take note that ammonia is a naturally occurring gas.

And you know what makes ammonia?

The manure is generated by both livestock and wild animals, as well as the plants that have rotted out to the ground! Also, the ocean helps out in generating ammonia.

4. Ocean

The world’s ocean is known to be a vast source of nitrous oxide as well. It seems that water is highly needed in order to produce more nitrous oxide. It actually does not matter if it’s freshwater or saltwater, as long as the place has a rich amount of moisture, the microbes that contain the gas will have the capability to produce even more nitrous oxide. Additionally, the fecal pellets produced by sea creatures such as fish support the process of denitrification, which results in the gas being produced as its by-product.

5. Soils From Vegetation

Soils that are located directly under the plants are the largest sources of nitrous oxide. Mix this with the fertilizer, and there would be exponential amounts of nitrous oxide to be harvested from it.

This is more natural than the rest of the sources listed above. Some of the richest sources of nitrous oxide that can be gathered from soils from vegetation are those located in rainforests, as moisture is required to create higher levels of nitrous oxide. That’s why the irrigation water mentioned above can also produce high amounts of naturally occurring gas.

Conlclusion

As you can see, nitrous oxide is actually a gas that’s just around us. It’s found inland, sea and air! Therefore, you can say that it is a perfectly safe gas that’s good to use for both medical purposes and to allow you to preserve your whipped cream through the use of whipped cream chargers.

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