Which is cancerous? Nitrite or Nitrate?

Question

I was recently in a water quality lab on my first day of a new job and we test with Nitrite and Nitrate and one of them is cancerous, but I forgot which one?

Anyway, we wear gloves for the one that is cancerous. The girl who works there said that she thinks that its cancerous only through your skin, but should I wear a mask as well? They have them available, but Im just wondering if it can be airborne?

Keep in mind that it's in powdered form and we only mix it with water, we don't burn the Nitrate or Nitrate or anything to cause fumes. We do have an exhaust pipe for stuff like that, but I still think I should wear a mask.

What do you think?

Answer 1

nitrites are found in our food and yes they cause cancer. why are you working there if you do not know this?

Answer 2

According to what I read both can have serious health effects..

-- Nitrites:

Inhalation:

Toxic. Causes irritation to the respiratory tract and systemic poisoning with symptoms paralleling ingestion.

Ingestion:

Toxic. Can irritate the mouth, esophagus, stomach, etc. Excessive amounts effect the blood and blood vessels. Signs and symptoms of nitrite poisoning include intense cyanosis, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, collapse, spasms of abdominal pain, rapid heart beat, irregular breathing, coma, convulsions, and death due to circulatory collapse. Estimated lethal dose 1 to 2 grams.

Skin Contact:

Causes irritation, redness and pain. May be absorbed through the skin causing systemic poisoning; symptoms may parallel ingestion.

Eye Contact:

Causes irritation, redness, and pain.

Chronic Exposure:

Repeated exposure through any route may cause symptoms similar to acute toxicity.

-- Nitrates:

Nitrate in drinking water: health effects

Nitrate is one of the most frequent groundwater pollutants in rural areas. It needs to be regulated in drinking water basically because excess levels can cause methaemoglobinaemia, or "blue baby" disease. Although nitrate levels that affect babies are not dangerous for older children and adults, they do indicate the possible presence of other more serious residential or agricultural pollutants, such as bacteria or pesticides.

The origin of nitrate in groundwater is primarily from fertilizers, septic systems, and manure storage or spreading operations. Fertilizer nitrogen not taken up by plants, volatilized, or carried away by surface runoff ends up in the groundwater in the form of nitrate. This makes the nitrogen unavailable to the plants, and can also raise the concentration in groundwater above the admissible levels for drinking water quality. Nitrogen from manure can be similarly lost from fields, barnyards, or storage locations. Septic systems remove only half of the nitrogen in wastewater, leaving the other half to leach to groundwater, this way raising groundwater nitrate concentrations.

Methaemoglobinaemia: a disease caused by nitrate excess

Definition: Clinical condition arising from the excessive conversion of haemoglobin to methaemoglobin, which is incapable of binding and carrying oxygen. Methaemoglobin is formed when iron in the haemoglobin molecule is oxidised from Fe2+ to Fe3+.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of methaemoglobinaemia are usually those related to impaired oxygen delivery (headache, weakness, tachycardia and breathlessness) and develop gradually as concentrations of methaemoglobin rise above 20%.

Concentrations higher than 50% result in severe hypoxaemia and central nervous system depression.

Concentrations higher than 70% may cause death.

For individuals that suffer from anaemia, cardiac failure or pulmonary disease the symptoms of hypoxia may appear at lower percentage levels of methaemoglobin.

You may also wanna read this review http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/eh...

So I guess you may wanna wear that mask after all.

Hope I helped =)

Answer 3

Not true!  I think someone got it wrong.  Nitrates are a significant part of animal waste and it has been suggested that nitrites used in foods convert to nitrosamines in cooking but even this is not universally accepted as a hazard.  Somebody needs to educated, you are in no danger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrite

Answer 4

It is the nitrite which is the culprit.   The whole cancer thing is involved with nitrosamines, which are by-products of nitrite digestion.  The girl who works there is not doing her job; there are material safety data sheets that specify what precautions to take.   She should obtain that, and you should refuse to work there until she does, imho.