Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a by-product of biological activity of a
symbiotic bacteria living in leguminous plant roots. This is a principal
greenhouse gas that absorbs in the infrared wavelength region and
unfortunately falls in an IR 'window' between IR absorbing features of
water and carbon dioxide (a characteristic of all the 'trace' greenhouse
gases with significant radiative forcing). It is also laughing gas used by
medicine as a gentle general anesthetic. [Nature;v335;528-529;1988]
[Atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen oxides;George Hidy;p13;1986;Academic
press; New York]
