Bromate analysis in groundwater and wastewater samples.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Bromate (BrO(3)(-)) is a potential human carcinogen and a disinfection by-product of ozonation.
• Regulatory limits for bromate in drinking water necessitate sensitive analytical methods.
• Groundwater and wastewater matrices require specific analytical approaches for bromate detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize existing techniques for trace bromate analysis in potable water.
• To identify and evaluate methodologies for routine bromate analysis in groundwater and wastewater.
• To compare the performance of various analytical techniques for bromate determination in environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV or post-column reaction/UV (PCR/UV) detection.
• Ion Chromatography (IC) with conductivity detection (IC-CD) or PCR/UV detection.
• Spectrophotometry for trace bromate analysis.

Main Results:

• IC-CD provided cost-effective simultaneous analysis of bromate and bromide in groundwater with a 5 µg L⁻¹ detection limit.
• HPLC-PCR/UV successfully analyzed bromate in wastewater with detection limits below 20 µg L⁻¹.
• HPLC with direct UV detection was unsuitable for the required concentration range, highlighting the importance of column selection.
• Spectrophotometry showed potential for rapid field screening of high bromate levels but lacked reproducibility.

Conclusions:

• IC-CD is the preferred method for simultaneous bromate and bromide analysis in groundwater.
• HPLC-PCR/UV is suitable for bromate determination in wastewater.
• Method selection depends on the matrix, concentration range, and required analytes.