Context:
Recently, a man has been executed in Alabama using nitrogen gas for the first ever again putting US at front of death penalty debate.
Capital Punishment using Nitrogen Gas:
- Called as Nitrogen Asphyxiation
- 1st new method of execution after lethal injection.
- To be successful
- 1st state – Alabama
- 1st country – USA
- Took about 22 minutes to complete the process.
- States to authorize usage of nitrogen in execution – Alabama (3rd ) after Oklahoma and Mississippi
Nitrogen Gas:
- Colourless, odourless, tasteless gas similar in appearance to water
- 5th most abundant element
- Makes up 78% of Earth’s air.
- Mars’ atmosphere – only 2.6 percent nitrogen.
- One of the primary nutrients critical for survival
- Part of many molecules essential to life like proteins, nucleic acids, etc.
- Sources – atmosphere (main source), coal, fossil fuel etc.
- Uses – light bulb production, food industry, pollution control etc.
Nitrogen Asphyxiation
- Called as Nitrogen hypoxia execution
- Death by forcing the inmate to breathe pure nitrogen, depriving oxygen needed to maintain body functions.
- Theory – changing the composition of the air to 100% nitrogen will cause to lose consciousness and die from lack of oxygen.
Lethal injection
- The practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person to cause rapid death.
- Main application– capital punishment
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil?
1. Excretion of urea by animals
2. Burning of coal by man
3. Death of vegetation
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2013 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Burning of coal produces Oxides of Carbon ,Sulphur ,Nitrogen and a variety of by products, including fly-ash, flue gas and scrubber sludge but it does not directly add nitrogen to the soil.
