The interaction of synthetic dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) melanin (DM) with nitrite ions, NO2−, in the pH 3.6–7.0 range, has been investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). We found that especially at pH <5.5 (from ca. 5.5 to 3.6) the reaction of DM with nitrite generated large quantities of new melanin radicals, which implies the involvement of nitrous acid, HNO2, in the radical formation process. Measurements carried out at constant pH of 3.6 showed that the melanin signal increased together with nitrite concentration, reaching a plateau level which was more than fourfold larger compared to the initial signal amplitude observed in a nitrite-free buffer of the same pH. The effects of nitrite and DM concentrations on the melanin-free radical content were also investigated. It is proposed that the radicals are generated by one electron oxidation of melanin