A spectrophotometric method for the determination of nitrite ion was established based on a fading of the pyrogallol red-molybdenum(VI) complex in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate, an anionic surfactant. This method can be used to determine 40 similar to 460 ng mL(-1) nitrite ion; the effective molar absorptivity at 535 nm and the relative standard deviation were 1.0 x 10(5) L mol(-1) cm(-1) and 1.92% (n = 6), respectively. This procedure is much more sensitive than that using a diazotization reaction. Recoveries of nitrite ion from real samples (rain water and commercial drinking water) were within 96.9 similar to 100%.