if nitrogen is everywhere, why is it a big deal if there is a nitrogen leak?

Question

if nitrogen is everywhere, why is it a big deal if there is a nitrogen leak?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Nitrogen is a simple asphyxiant meaning it displaces oxygen. No oxygen means you can’t breathe, which is obviously bad.

What makes this worse is that CO2 is responsible for the ‘pain’ of no air, so with Nitrogen you can’t even tell there is no oxygen.