Why measure nitrous oxide?
Oxides of nitrogen are formed anytime something is burned. Most of it comes from burning gas in cars and trucks or from power plants burning coal or natural gas to make electricity. Nitrous oxides irritate your lungs and can cause a number of health problems. This oxide of nitrogen is much less dangerous than nitrogen dioxide, which is a major problem in many U.S. cities. Nitrous oxide is sometimes called laughing gas and is used in the dental profession as an anesthetic. It is measured along the perimeter of the ConocoPhillips-Rodeo facility as an early indicator that something wrong has occurred at the refinery. The warning levels are set at 999 parts per million (ppm). Peak levels at the north fenceline are around 1 ppm, with about half of that also present at the south fenceline.
