Death row prisoners in Oklahoma to be executed with nitrogen gas
- 6 years ago
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma plans to use nitrogen gas in dealing with prisoners scheduled to leave this world, though the details of the procedure have yet to be finalized.
The state plans to use the gas to induce nitrogen hypoxia, a fatal state where the brain and body are deprived of oxygen.
According to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, 78% of the air humans breathe contain nitrogen. The lower the oxygen content, the deadlier nitrogen becomes. As the oxygen content lowers to 16%, the brain tells the body to breathe faster and deeper. Anything below 10% oxygen content can be fatal.
Speaking to Reuters, the Death Penalty Information Center said it would take 7 minutes for a 32-kg pig to die from nitrogen hypoxia. Other countries known to use gas during executions were Nazi Germany, North Korea and the USSR.
The state plans to use the gas to induce nitrogen hypoxia, a fatal state where the brain and body are deprived of oxygen.
According to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, 78% of the air humans breathe contain nitrogen. The lower the oxygen content, the deadlier nitrogen becomes. As the oxygen content lowers to 16%, the brain tells the body to breathe faster and deeper. Anything below 10% oxygen content can be fatal.
Speaking to Reuters, the Death Penalty Information Center said it would take 7 minutes for a 32-kg pig to die from nitrogen hypoxia. Other countries known to use gas during executions were Nazi Germany, North Korea and the USSR.