Determination of Nitrite Levels in Maize Samples From Different Regions of Turkey

The content of nitrates and nitrites in agricultural products has been assessed as an indicator of the quality of the products and has important health influences 1. Changes in patterns of agricultural practice, food processing and industrialization have impacted accumulation of nitrates/nitrites in the environment. Intensive farming practice has resulted in an increasing use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, particularly with corn, vegetables, other row crops and forages 2. The toxicity due to nitrate ingestion is relatively low. On the other hand, 5% to 20% nitrates taken from different sources including water and several foodstuffs are endogenously converted to nitrites, which have higher toxicity and are thought to be responsible of several adverse health effects. Nitrite content of agricultural products has been in concern of public, toxicologists, public health providers and governmental regulators for decades 1, 3, 4.