Sodium nitrite

Synonyms

Anti-Rust; Azotyn sodowy [Polish]; Diazotizing salts; Dusitan sodny [Czech]; Erinitrit; Filmerine; Natrium nitrit [German]; Nitrite de sodium [French]; Nitrito sodico [Spanish]; Synfat 1004; Nitrous acid, sodium salt; [ChemIDplus] UN1500

Category

Nitrates and Nitrites

Description

White or slightly yellow hygroscopic solid; [Merck Index]

Sources/Uses

Used for dyeing and printing textile fabrics (color fixative); for bleaching flax, silk, and linen; for recovering tin from scrap; as a preservative in meats, meat products, and fish; as an intermediate in metal treatment and finishing operations; Also used in photography, rubber accelerators, heat-transfer salts, de-tinning solutions and multipurpose greases, drugs (vasodilator, smooth muscle relaxant, and antidote for cyanide poisoning), and to make nitroso and isonitroso compounds, diazo dyes, pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides, and other organic chemicals; [HSDB]

Comments

Emergency treatment: "Nitrites"; [HSDB] A strong oxidant that reacts with combustible and reducing substances posing fire and explosion hazard; An eye irritant; Can induce methemoglobinemia; [ICSC] A strong oxidizing agent; May explode on prolonged exposure to heat; An eye irritant; Can induce methemoglobinemia; [CAMEO] May cause moderate eye irritation, based on animal studies; [CHEMINFO] See "NITRATES and NITRITES."

Biomedical References

LC50 (rat) = 5.5 mg/m3/4h

MetHgb is secondary toxic effect

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Metal Extraction and Refining
• Photographic Processing
• Textiles (Fiber & Fabric Manufacturing)
• Textiles (Printing, Dyeing, or Finishing)