Everything about Sodium Nitrite totally explained
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Sodium nitrite, with
chemical formula NaNO2, is used as a
color fixative and
preservative in meats and fish.
When pure, it's a white to slight yellowish crystalline powder. It is very soluble in
water and is
hygroscopic. It is also slowly oxidized by oxygen in the air to
sodium nitrate, NaNO
3. The compound is a strong reducing agent.
It is also used in manufacturing
diazo dyes,
nitroso compounds, and other organic compounds; in dyeing and printing textile fabrics and bleaching fibers; in
photography; as a laboratory
reagent and a
corrosion inhibitor; in metal coatings for phosphatizing and detinning; and in the manufacture of
rubber chemicals. Sodium nitrite also has been used in human and veterinary medicine as a
vasodilator, a
bronchodilator, an intestinal relaxant or a
laxative, and an
antidote for
cyanide poisoning.
Uses
Food additive
As a
food additive, it serves a dual purpose in the
food industry since it both alters the
color of preserved
fish and
meats and also prevents growth of
Clostridium botulinum, the
bacteria which causes
botulism. In the European Union it may be used only as a mixture with salt containing at most 0.6% sodium nitrite. It has the
E number E250.
Potassium nitrite (E249) is used in the same way.
While this chemical will prevent the growth of bacteria, it can be toxic for mammals. (
LD50 in rats is 180 mg/kg.) For this reason, sodium nitrite sold as a food additive is dyed bright pink to avoid mistaking it for something else. Cooks and makers of charcuterie often simply refer to sodium nitrite as "pink salt".
Various dangers of using this as a food additive have been suggested and researched by scientists. A principal concern is the formation of
carcinogenic N-
nitrosamines by the reaction of sodium nitrite with amino acids in the presence of heat in an acidic environment. Sodium nitrite has also been linked to triggering migraines. http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/1998/398_pain.html
Recent studies have found a link between high processed meat consumption and colon cancer, possibly due to preservatives such as sodium nitrite.
Recent studies have also found a link between frequent ingestion of meats cured with nitrites and the
COPD form of
lung disease.
Disease treatment
Recently, sodium nitrite has been found to be an effective means to increase blood flow by dilating
blood vessels, acting as a
vasodilator. Research is ongoing to investigate its applicability towards treatments for
sickle cell anemia, cyanide poisoning,
heart attacks,
brain aneurysms, and
pulmonary hypertension in infants.
Synthetic reagent
Sodium nitrite is used to convert
amines into diazo compounds. The synthetic utility of such a reaction is to render the amino group labile for
nucleophilic substitution, as the N
2 group is a better
leaving group.
In the laboratory, sodium nitrite is also used to destroy excess
sodium azide.
» NaNO
2 + H
2SO
4 → HNO
2 + NaHSO
4
» 2 NaN
3 + 2 HNO
2 → 3 N
2 + 2 NO + 2 NaOH
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sodium Nitrite'.
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