[Assessment of the degree of carcinogenicity of small doses of nitrites]

Chronic experiments on CBA and C57B1 mice and acute experiments on CBA mice established: (a) carcinogenic effect of sodium nitrite given continuously with drinking water (0.1; 1.0 and 10.0 maximum allowable concentration) in combination with morpholine fed with bread, and (b) endogenous synthesis of nitrosomorpholine as a result of simultaneous intragastric administration of same doses of sodium nitrite and morpholine. Also, nitrosomorpholine and N-nitrosodimethylamine synthesis was observed in vitro following addition of low-dose sodium nitrite, morpholine and amidopyrine to human gastric juice. Carcinogenic hazard associated with low-dose nitrite consumption in humans is discussed.