Sodium Nitrite: A Double-Edged Sword of a Chemical

From [Spiral glazed ham] [Photograph], by joefoodie, 2010, Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spiral_glazed_ham.jpg). CC BY 2.0.

Look at this picture of ham. Unless you are a vegan or vegetarian, doesn't this ham look delicious? In a few moments I'm going to ruin your appetite, since cured and processed meat such as ham has likely involved a chemical commonly known as sodium nitrite. 

You're probably wondering what sodium nitrite is. In this blog, I will describe sodium nitrite, list its uses, and controversies surrounding this chemical. As the title of this blog post suggests, sodium nitrite has been used positively and negatively.

What is sodium nitrite?

Sodium nitrate is a substance that is usually created by reducing either sodium nitrate or nitrogen oxides (Pokorny et al., 2006, pp 8-9). When sodium nitrate is in solid form, it looks similar to salt with a yellowish-white colour and a crystal form. It dissolves easily in water and creates a mildly basic solution with a pH of 9 (PubChem, 2008, Chemical and Physical Properties section).

What is sodium nitrite used for?

There are many uses for sodium nitrite; the list is way too long for this short blog. The most common and well-known use for this chemical is to preserve and cure processed meat. Sodium nitrite is also used to as a dye for fabrics and to treat cyanide poisoning (PubChem, 2008, Use and Manufacturing section).

What are controversies surrounding sodium nitrite?

Sodium nitrite is a toxic chemical (Pokorny et al., 2006, p.10), and as such its usage in food is controversial. There have been concerns that sodium nitrite could increase the risk of cancer; research suggests mixed results (Abdollahi & Khaksar, 2014, p. 336, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety [CCHOS], n.d., Hazards Identification section, PubChem, 2008, Evidence for Carcinogenicity section). Sodium nitrite has also been used for people to kill themselves. Amazon was once sued for allegedly helping people kill themselves due to how easy it is to access sodium nitrite on their online marketplace (Belanger, 2022).

What to make of all of this?

Do not be paranoid about sodium nitrite. This information may come across as scary, but as long as you do not consume too many processed meats or come into close contact with sodium nitrite's pure form, you will likely have no severe negative health effects.

References

Abdollahi, M., & Khaksar, M. R. (2014). Sodium nitrite. In P. Wexler (Ed.), Encyclopedia of toxicology (3rd ed., pp. 334-337). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-386454-3.01206-9

Belanger, A. (2022, October 7). Amazon “suicide kits” have led to teen deaths, according to new lawsuit. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/amazon-suicide-kits-have-led-to-teen-deaths-according-to-new-lawsuit/

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (n.d.). [Information on sodium nitrite]. http://ccinfoweb2.ccohs.ca.us1.proxy.openathens.net/cheminfo/records/3420E.html

Pokorny, L., Maturana, I., & Bortle, W. H. (2006). Sodium nitrate and nitrite. In Kirk-Othmer (Ed.), Kirk-Othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology (5th ed., pp. 1-22). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/0471238961.1915040916151115.a01.pub2

PubChem. (2008, February). Sodium nitrite. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/23668193


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