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Nitrous oxides (NOx) are an interesting and important family of air polluting chemical compounds. Nitrous oxides are a group of seven compounds. Among them, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is the most common form of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere produced by human activities. Nitrogen dioxide is not only an important air pollutant on its own, but also reacts in the atmosphere to form ozone and acid rain in the ambient air.
Ozone, which forms the upper layer of the atmosphere, protects the earth from ionizing radiation from the sun. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established standards for these ozone and nitrogen dioxides. It defines air quality levels to protect public health and public welfare from the known or expected adverse effects of pollution. The limit value for nitrogen dioxide is 0.053 parts per million.
Nitrous oxides are the most abundant nitrogen oxides in air. Nitrogen oxide emissions from combustion are mainly in the form of nitrogen monoxide. Nitrogen oxides, other than nitrogen monoxide from the soil, lightning and natural fires, are largely produced by human activity. Biogenic sources generally account for up to 10 percent of total nitrogen monoxide emissions. Motor vehicles contribute about half of the nitrogen oxides emitted. Power station boilers produce about 40 percent of emissions of nitrogen oxides from stationary sources.
Nitrogen dioxide is found in the atmosphere and in acid rain. It produces nitric acid when dissolved in water. The ozone concentration present is the product of both nitrous oxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution.
