Analytical techniques for measuring nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is estimated to contribute about 6% of the global warming effect due to greenhouse gases. N2O is also predicted to be the single most important ozone-depleting emission in the twenty-first century. Great progress has been made in N2O measurement, but there is a critical need for sensors that can be used to map the spatial variation of N2O emissions over a wide area. In this article, we outline where N2O measurement is required, describe advances that have been made in developing sensitive analytical techniques and review some promising new technologies. Our aim is to assist both those new to N2O measurement, enabling them to select the most appropriate of the available technology, and to inform those developing new analytical techniques.