The use of electrodialysis to prepare aqueous bread extracts for bromate determination by chemiluminescence.

A cleanup procedure based on electrodialysis is described for the preparation of aqueous bread extracts for bromate determination by chemiluminescence. The technique utilizes electrophoresis with 3 chambers separated by semipermeable membranes. The relative merits of reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration membranes with various molecular weight cutoffs were evaluated. The best results were obtained with an RO membrane manufactured from thin-film (composite) polysulfone as support for polyamide. A 0.14M sodium sulfate solution in the center or collection chamber provides optimum conductivity. Aqueous hydroxylamine sulfate (30mM) was selected for the anode compartment as a reductant for the anode oxidation products. The constant current mode at 150 mA with a potential of ca 100 volts was used. After electrophoretic separation, the bromate concentration in the collection chamber was typically 2 to 3 times greater than the concentration in the bread extract. The chemiluminescent reaction of bromate with sulfite with hydrocortisone as the enhancer was selected for detection of bromate. The emission, with a wavelength maximum at 575 nm, was found to glow rather than flash after the reagents were mixed; therefore, it was possible to optimize the light collection period. The method was validated with a variety of commercial bread products. White bread, hot dog buns, hamburger rolls, and a multigrain bread from 7 different manufacturers were studied.