An analytical study of the factors affecting the determination of bromate in drinking water by Ion chromatography

Bromates are categorized as a potential human carcinogen. For this reason, trace analysis of bromate in waters has recently received considerable attention. The effect of anions on the maximum permissible limit of bromate in bottled drinking water standards has been studied. This study was performed on a selected bottled drinking water sample that contained normal concentrations of anions according to bottled drinking water standard GSO 1025/2014. It examined the effect of fluoride, chloride, chlorite, chlorate, and bromide on the bromate concentration. The presence of chloride in high concentrations will significantly reduce the chance of estimating bromates. Even at a low concentration, fluoride directly affects the determination of bromate. Due to the time of the chlorate peak being later than that of bromate, the chlorate has no effect. In most cases, the chlorite peak showed an effect close to the bromate peak, albeit in varying proportions, and it is considered the closest to the bromate peak. This study concludes that caution should be taken when determining bromate in water using ICS6000 Dionex due to the influence of some of the compounds present that hinder the instrument’s ability to fully estimate the concentration of bromate, which is one of the most important contaminants analyzed in the safety analysis of drinking water.

Posted by: Mostafa Alsamti, Senior Lab expert, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Saudi Arabia (16-Apr-2024)