Nitrites

another paper for the science class.I didnt write all of this one.. only because its pretty confusing with chemical matters.


Nitrites

A nitrite compound is either a salt or an ester of nitrous acid.

Nitrite (NO2) is a highly toxic pollutant which is produced by bacteria during the breakdown of fish wastes and other organic materials through a process called nitrification.

Beneficial filter bacteria called Nitrosomonas, oxidise deadly ammonia (NH4) from decomposing materials and fish wastes to nitrite, which is slightly less toxic to fish. Other bacteria, like Nitrospira and Nitrobacter, then convert the nitrite to nitrate (NO3), which is only mildly toxic by comparison.

Exposure to nitrite for long periods makes the immune system less effective and the fish may start to suffer from diseases, such as white spot and bacterial infections, like fin rot or ulcers, if they haven't already died from nitrite poisoning.

A recent issue of Aquarium Fish International had an excellent article about the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is also a nitrogen compound, but I forgot the formula for the number of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms.

I did one on nitrates an ammonia too.. want me to post them?

Go for it.