Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tuzla and Faculty of Food Technology, University of J. J. Strossmayer Osijek
Abstract
Nitrati i nitriti su kemijski spojevi koji se koriste kao gnojivo, rodenticidi ili konzervansi. Mogu se
naći u zraku, tlu, vodi ili hrani (posebice povrću) a mogu se i stvarati u ljudskom tijelu. Nitrati imaju
važnu ulogu u hranjenju i metabolizmu biljaka. Nastaju oksidacijom organskog otpada djelovanjem
dušičnih bakterija. Ljudi mogu biti izloženi nitratima i nitritima preko konzumacije povrća i mesnih
prerađevina, a manjim dijelom preko vode ili ostale hrane. Pijenje vode sa većom koncentracijom
nitrata može djelovati na ljudsko tijelo na dva načina: (i) akutno, što se najčešće manifestira
methemoglobinemijom (nitrati u probavnom sustavu se reduciraju u nitrite koji potom oksidiraju
željezo u hemoglobinu crvenih krvnih stanica stvarajući methemoglobin koji nije sposoban prenositi
kisik po tijelu), a koja se manifestira pojavom plave boje kožw, i (ii) kronično, što se manifestira
pojavom karcinoma kao rezultata izloženosti nitrozaminima (koji nastaju tijekom reakcije nitrata sa
aminima u tijelu).Nitrates naturally occur in the environment and are involved in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrates and nitrites
are chemical compounds used in fertilizers, rodenticides and as food preservatives. They can be
found in the air, soil, water and food (especially in vegetables) and can be synthesized in the human
body. Nitrates play a significant role in the diet and metabolism of plants. Nitrates are formed by oxidation
of organic waste by the action of nitrogen-binding bacteria. Humans are exposed to nitrates
and nitrites via consumption of vegetables and processed meat products, and to a lesser extent via water
and other food. Consumption of drinking water with an increased concentration of nitrate may affect
the human body in two ways: (i) acutely, most often manifested as methemoglobinemia (where
nitrates in the digestive system are reduced to nitrites, which then oxidize iron in the hemoglobin of
the red blood cells forming methemoglobin unable to transmit oxygen in the body), resulting in blue
skin, and (ii) chronic, manifested by the occurrence of cancer as a result of organism exposure to nitrosamines
(formed during the reaction of nitrates with amines in the body)
