Determination of trace level bromate in drinking water by direct injectionion chromatography

Disinfection byproduct anions such as bromate, chlorite and chlorate pose s ignificant health risks, even at low mu g/l levels in drinking water. A dir ect injection, ion chromatographic method was developed using a Dionex AS9- HC anion-exchange column with a carbonate eluent and suppressed conductivit y detection for the determination of these disinfection byproduct anions, a nd bromide, at low mu g/l levels in drinking water. No additional sample pr etreatment, other than filtration, is required. The method is linear for th e oxyhalides and bromide over the typical concentration range expected for these analytes in drinking water; and quantitative recoveries were obtained for drinking water samples spiked at 10 mu g/l. This ion chromatographic m ethod, based on the recently developed AS9-HC column, is applicable for the quantitation of bromate in finished drinking water at the 10 mu g/l maximu m contaminant level currently being proposed by the US EPA. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.