In a method for obtaining dinitrogen monoxide by microbiological or enzymatic processes from nitrogen-containing substances, the microorganisms, bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, fungi, parasites, phages, cells, cell fractions or membrane fractions, and/or enzymes, and/or a combination thereof to be used in this context are selected, or manipulated or partly or entirely reversibly and/or irreversibly inhibited by suitable actions, or the corresponding microbiological or enzymatic processes are controlled, for example, by way of suitable process conditions, so that, in part or entirely, dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) is formed from the nitrogen-containing compounds of the nitrogen-containing substances.