[ace_of_beer]

When adding nitrite and sulfide to an anoxic sterile growth media I see the formation of a yellow color in the media. The color doesn't form immediately.
Does anyone know whether nitrite can react with sulfide and generate a yellow soluble product ?

[vhpk]

When adding nitrite and sulfide to an anoxic sterile growth media I see the formation of a yellow color in the media. The color doesn't form immediately.
Does anyone know whether nitrite can react with sulfide and generate a yellow soluble product ?

Show your attempt first, write the equation representing the process which you think? Do you have any predictions about the product of the reaction above?

[ace_of_beer]

Well what I think what might happend is a reaction between nitrite and sulfide leading to the formation of elementary sulfur: H₂S / HS^-  +  NO₂^-  -->  S⁰ + N₂  + H₂O
The elementary sulfur would result in a yellow color but as far as I know elementary sulfur is insoluble in water and I don’t observe any precipitation.

Alternatively nitrite could be reduced to ammonium. The ammonium could then react with sulfide producing ammonium sulfide. H₂S / HS^-  + NH₄⁺  -->  [NH₄]₂S
Ammonium sulfide is yellow and is extremely soluble in water. However, when nitrite is replaced by ammonium no yellow color occurs.