Low-Level Bromate by EPA 557
May
27
Written by:
5/27/2020 10:00 AM
Bromate is a disinfection byproduct produced when ozone is used to disinfect drinking water that contains bromide and bromide-containing compounds. Because bromate is a potential human carcinogen, it is critical for the public water systems to monitor the presence of bromate before distributing the drinking water to households.
Our routine method for Bromate by EPA 300.1 uses ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection whereas the low-level EPA 557 method uses ion chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry. You can find the new method on our ELAP certificate at FOT 102.090.
The Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) for Bromate is 10 ug/L. When there is matrix interferences for the routine 300.1 method, a dilution of the matrix would yield an elevated reporting limit and unusable results for MCL compliance. The low-level method with a reporting limit 100 times lower than the MCL, provides a distinct advantage where there may be a matrix interference.
| Bromate Method |
RL, ug/L |
MDL, ug/L |
| EPA 557 |
0.1 |
0.025 |
| EPA 300.1 |
5 |
1.43 |