Introducing a New Kit based on Modified Chromotropic Acid Method for Easy Determination of Methanol

Abstract

Methyl alcohol poisoning usually happens by use of contaminated ethanol. So, development of an easy and cost-effective method to determine methanol in these products can be helpful to diagnosemethanolintoxication. The aim of this paper is introducing a new kit based on chromotropic acid method for measuring the methanol content of alcoholic beverages. In this study, a new modified chromotropic acid method (as a kit) was used to determine of methanol in 700 self-made samples with diverse ethanol concentration prepared by "add found" technique. Briefly, in the proposed method, produced formaldehyde by methanol oxidation is reacted with chromotropic acid in a high acidic media. The quantification limit of this kit lies below the permitted dose and safe amount of methanol in the beverages regulated by the European Parliament and the Council. The attained results indicate Limit of Quantification of the method is1250 mg/Land all examined samples with more methanol amounts are easily determined with good accuracy and precision. As for the European standard about permitted dose of methanol in beverages (up to 4000 mg/lin 40% v/v of alcohol strength) and gained results, it seems, this proposed method practically enables rapid and easy quantitative determination of methanol in all kind of alcoholic strength with suitable accuracy and precision. However, conclusive conclusions in this area will require further examination in actual samples of alcoholic beverages. But, to the best of our knowledge, there isn’t any report about such easy method.