What are the hazards of nitric acid to the human body?

Nitric acid is one of the chemical components. , widely used in plants to absorb fertilizer. Nitric acid also has a certain impact on the environment. If people are exposed to too much nitric acid or consume some foods containing nitric acid. It will cause certain symptoms of poisoning, and in mild cases, dizziness, mental abnormalities, etc. Severe cases may lead to shock or even life-threatening. Next, let’s take a closer look at the main hazards of nitric acid to the human body.

Nitrite mainly refers to sodium nitrite, which is white to light yellow powder or granules, tastes slightly salty and is easily soluble in water. Its appearance and taste are similar to table salt, and it is widely used in industry and construction. It is also allowed to be used as a colorant in meat products in limited quantities.

The chance of food poisoning caused by nitrite is higher. Ingestion of 0.3 to 0.5 grams of nitrite can cause poisoning or even death. Nitrite poisoning refers to nitrite poisoning caused by eating pickled meat products, pickles and spoiled vegetables with high nitrate or nitrite content, or mistakenly consuming industrial sodium nitrite as table salt. It can also be seen after drinking bitter well water or steamer water containing nitrate or nitrite. Nitrite can oxidize the normal oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood into methemoglobin, which loses its oxygen-carrying capacity and causes tissue hypoxia.

2. Toxicity Mechanism and Main Manifestations

Nitrite poisoning develops rapidly, with a general incubation period of 1-3 hours. The main feature of poisoning is cyanosis caused by tissue hypoxia, such as cyanosis of the lips, tip of the tongue, and fingertips. In severe cases, the conjunctiva, face, and skin of the entire body may also appear cyanotic. Dizziness, headache, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness or irritability, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and in severe cases, coma, convulsions, incontinence, and death due to respiratory failure.

In view of the above reasons, the country has established strict limit standards for nitrite residues in food. However, since high concentrations of nitrite can not only improve the sensory color of meat products, but also greatly shorten the processing time of meat products, the phenomenon of excessive nitrite in meat products is relatively common. There are even a few unscrupulous operators who soak diseased pork in hydrogen peroxide to bleach it, then add a large amount of nitrite, and finally process it to achieve the color effect of normal meat products. There are also bacon that has a large amount of nitrite added, and it can achieve the color and hardness of normal smoked meat for more than ten days after just one night of smoking, and it is "extraordinarily shiny."

Through the above detailed introduction to the hazards of nitric acid to the human body, people who are frequently exposed to nitric acid will have a better understanding of it. People should try to avoid contact with food or objects containing nitric acid in their daily lives. If symptoms of poisoning occur, you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately to avoid shock that may harm your body and endanger your life.