Determination of melamine concentrations in dairy samples

Melamine, a basic organic chemical intermediate, can cause renal failure because of the formation of insoluble melamine cyanurate crystals in the kidneys. This study examined a novel fluorescence spectrometry for the determination of trace melamine in dairy. The method was based on the inhibitory effect of melamine on the decolorizing reaction of the uncatalytic oxidation of acridine red by potassium permanganate in a sulfuric acid medium. The calibration graph was linear for melamine concentrations of 2.1 × 10−4-1.6 mg/L, and a detection limit of 61.5 ng/L was obtained. The melamine was determined in dairy samples by the proposed method after liquid-liquid and solid phase extraction. The results correlated with the high-performance liquid chromatography. The recoveries were within the range of 99.6-103.3% for liquid milk and 98.5-111.1% for milk powder. The possible mechanism of the reaction was also investigated by ultraviolet spectra.

► A novel fluorospectrophotometry for determining trace melamine has been developed. ► The high selectivity can be obtained due to the specific sample pretreatment. ► This method has been successfully applied to determine melamine in dairy products. ► The possible mechanism of the reaction was investigated by ultraviolet spectra.