Cyclodextrin-aided determination of iodate and bromate in drinking water by microcolumn ion chromatography with precolumn enrichment.

A selective and simple method for the determination of iodate (IO3-) and bromate (BrO3-) by microcolumn ion chromatography (IC) is presented. In this study, IO3- and BrO3- were determined as IBr2- and tribromide (Br3-), respectively, via a postcolumn reaction with bromide (Br) under acidic conditions with the aid of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) in microcolumn IC. IO3- and BrO3- were selectively detected by the present method at a wavelength of 253 or 265 nm. The present system achieved good selectivity for IO3- and BrO3- as well as good repeatability under suitable conditions. Precolumn enrichment improved the detection limit, and allowed the determination of BrO3- in bottled water as low as sub microg L(-1) level in microcolumn IC.