Sodium nitrite, an inorganic compound, appears as a white powder and is very soluble in water. In the food industry, it has found use as a perservative for smoked fish and for meats such as bacon and sausage because it retards the growth of the bacterium that causes botulism. Medical researchers have studied sodium nitrite in animals and humans and found that it has both beneficial effects, such as its blood vessel dilator ability, and harmful effects, such as generating carcinogenic nitrosamines when it combines with proteins.
Chemical Properties
Sodium nitrite is an inorganic salt with the chemical formula NaNO2, meaning that it has one sodium atom, one nitrogen atom and two oxygen atoms in each molecule. Chemically, it acts as a reducing agent, and in the process it gets oxidized to sodium nitrate, NaNO3. Sodium nitrite is a hygroscopic compound, meaning it will absorb moisture from the air if left out in the open.
Uses
In addition to its use as a food additive, sodium nitrite is used in the manufacturing of certain dyes and in making chemicals for rubber. As a laboratory reagent, it is on the shelves of drug research laboratories in academia, government and industry. Sodium nitrite is a corrosion inhibitor, and one of its applications involves corrosion protection for the steel rods that reinforce the concrete used to construct highways, bridges and parking garages.
Beneficial Effects
NewScientist.com summarizes research on sodium nitrite published by scientists in the February 2006 issue of "The Journal of Clinical Investigation." The researchers found that in laboratory culture experiments and in mice, sodium nitrite kills a bacterium that has often proved fatal to patients with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of thick mucus in the lungs. This finding is significant because the bacterium is resistant to many antibiotics and can escape the body's immune system because it is embedded in the thick mucus. The researchers hoped to develop an inhaled treatment they could test in clinical trials within two years. Another benefit of sodium nitrite is its ability to act as an antidote to cyanide poisoning. According to the New York State Department of Health, an effective treatment for cyanide poisoning involves the intravenous administration of water solutions of both sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate.
Potential Harmful Effects
The University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter states that sodium nitrite can combine with proteins in the body to produce nitrosamines, substances that cause cancer in laboratory animals. While there is no evidence that consuming small amounts of nitrite-containing meats causes any serious health problems, the Berkeley Wellness Letter recommends that people be cautious in their dietary intake of these foods.
References
- EdInformatics.com: What Is the Difference Between Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate?
- NewWorldEncyclopedia.com: Nitrite
- NewScientist.com: Food Preservative Fights Cystic Fibrosis Complication
- New York State Department of Health: The Facts About Cyanides
- BerkeleyWellnessAlerts.com: Should You Be Wary of Nitrites?
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