SHEET /m/sodium-nitrite · PubChem CID 23668193 · CAS 7632-00-0 · REV 2026.07
Sodium nitrite
from sourceNNaO2 · 68.995 g/mol
Anti-rust · Azotyn sodowy · Dusitan sodny · Erinitrit
What is Sodium nitrite?
The curing salt that keeps bacon, ham, and hot dogs pink and blocks botulism. In cured meat it can form nitrosamines, which is why its use is limited. Found in cured meat. from source
Fig. 1 · 2D structure RDKit
N(=O)[O-].[Na+]Where you'll find it
Curated by MoleculeFinder from source
The dose makes the poison inferred
A reported rat oral LD50 for Sodium nitrite is 85 mg/kg, the dose lethal to half the animals tested. Scaled by body mass alone:
“The dose makes the poison” is a cross-species estimate shown as neutral science, not a threshold anyone should act on. Real toxicity depends on the person, not body mass alone.
Toxicity & hazards
Toxicity · LD50
85 mg/kg · moderately toxic · LD50 rat oral from source
The dose lens above scales this to a body weight.
4 more reported values
- 175 mg/kgLD50 · oral · mouse
- 186 mg/kgLD50 · oral · rabbit
- 65 mg/kgLD50 · iv · rat
- 158 mg/kgLD50 · other · mouse