Spectrophotometric determination of trace-level bromate in drinking water after post-column reaction with pararosaniline based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method is described for low level determinationof bromate in drinking water. This method is based on the reduction of bromate ions into bromine in the presence of pararosaniline by sodium metabisulphite to form a highly stable pink-red complex measured at 540nm. Maximum colour formation was obtained at about 45min. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes, a solid phase extraction sorbent, has been described for the removal of cationic interferences of major elements and heavy metals from water samples prior to conducting the assay. Bear's law is obeyed in the range of 5-80 mu g.L-1 with limit of detection of 0.44 mu g.L-1 and correlation coefficient of 0.998 (n=5). The mean relative standard deviation (RSD%) of the results within-day precision and accuracy were 1.2% which confirmed the reproducibility of the assay technique. The optimum assay conditions and their applicability to the determination of water samples are described. The method was successfully applied for the determination of bromate in water samples with satisfactory results and recommended to be applied in all desalination plant samples.