Beverages Applications Notebook - Bottled Water

Importance of the Topic

Beverage quality and safety depend critically on sensitive, reliable analytical methods from raw ingredients through finished products. Disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as bromate, chlorite, chlorate, phenols, and other contaminants pose health risks, leading to stringent regulations in drinking and bottled waters. Advanced chromatography and sample-prep solutions enable rapid detection at sub-ppb levels to meet global standards.

Objectives and Study Overview

This compilation presents an integrated portfolio of Thermo Scientific Dionex solutions and application studies illustrating:

• High-performance UHPLC, ion chromatography (IC), and mass spectrometry (MS) platforms for beverage analysis.
• Automated sample preparation and on-line IC/HPLC for process and final-product monitoring.
• Specialized methods for trace DBPs, phenols, and bromate in tap, mineral, and bottled waters.
• Strategies to maximize sensitivity, reduce background, and simplify workflows via hydroxide eluents, reagent-free systems, and on-line cleanup (e.g., CRD 300, online SPE).
• Guidance on column selection for diverse analytes in beverage matrices.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• UHPLC (UltiMate™ 3000) and IC (ICS-2000, RFIC) systems with eluent generators for ultrapure hydroxide and carbonate/bicarbonate eluents.
• Suppressed conductivity and UV/detection modules, including postcolumn derivatization for sub-µg/L bromate.
• On-line SPE (AutoTrace 280) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) for phenols and DBPs.
• Process analyzers (Integral™) for real-time multipoint monitoring
• Chromeleon™ software for single-point method setup, instrument control, eWorkflows, database queries, and compliance management.

Main Results and Discussion

• Oxyhalide and bromide in bottled and tap waters: IonPac AS19 with hydroxide eluent on RFIC achieved MDLs of 0.3–0.8 µg/L and excellent recoveries, outperforming carbonate methods.
• Chlorite, bromate, chlorate in mineral waters: AS19 and AS23 columns with electrolytic eluents met EU limits (3 µg/L bromate) with 90–110 % recoveries.
• Phenols by online SPE–HPLC: On-line SPE on IonPac NG1 followed by Acclaim PA separation yielded MDLs < 1 µg/L, linear response to 20 µg/L, and robust recovery in tap/bottled waters.
• Bromate by CRD 300: Carbonate removal device after AS23 suppressed background, lowered bromate MDL to 0.75 µg/L, and delivered > 96 % recovery.
• Isocratic IC for bromate: IonPac AS19 with 20 mM KOH isocratic elution resolved bromate at 0.14 µg/L MDL and quantified trace levels in mineral water.
• Column selection guide: Comprehensive survey of stationary phases (C18, anion/cation exchange, mixed-mode HILIC) tailored to beverage analytes.

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Methods

• High sensitivity and selectivity for regulated DBPs and trace contaminants.
• Minimized manual steps via reagent-free eluent generation, on-line clean-up, and eWorkflows.
• Broad applicability across low- and high-ionic-strength waters and complex beverage matrices.
• Single-software control and reporting streamlines compliance workflows.
• Flexibility to mix and match columns and detection modes for specific analytes and throughput needs.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Expansion of RFIC with advanced eluent generators and automated sample handling to further reduce hands-on time.
• Integration of IC-MS and LC-MS workflows for structural confirmation and untargeted screening.
• Miniaturized on-line SPE and microfluidic LC systems for point-of-use beverage testing.
• Smart chromatography with AI-driven eWorkflows for dynamic method adaptation and real-time QC.
• Development of multifunctional mixed-mode columns for simultaneous multi-class analyte analysis in complex beverages.

Conclusion

Thermo Scientific Dionex offers a complete suite of chromatographic, sample-prep, and software solutions enabling ultra-sensitive, high-throughput analysis of regulated and emerging contaminants in beverages. By combining advanced column chemistries, reagent-free eluent generation, on-line clean-up, and integrated data management, laboratories can meet stringent global regulations while maximizing productivity and data integrity.

References

1. Dionex Application Note 167 (2004).
2. Dionex Application Note 184 (2007).
3. Dionex Application Note 81 (1997).
4. Dionex Application Note 136 (2004).
5. Dionex Application Note 149 (2003).
6. Dionex Application Update 154 (2006).
7. Dionex Application Note 171 (2006).
8. Dionex Application Note 187 (2007).
9. U.S. EPA Methods 300.1, 317.0, 326.0.
10. European Parliament Directive 2003/40/EC.
11. WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality, 2004.
12. Thermo Fisher Scientific product manuals.