Visual Detection and Determination of Melamine Using Synthetic Dyes

We have used spectroscopic technique for the detection of melamine. The effect of melamine on the colour as well as the pH of bromophenol, methyl red and alizarin red dye solutions was examined at different mole ratios. It is found that we observe color transition and the absorption maxima for bromophenol were at 598 nm, while for methyl red, and alizarin red-S dye they are at 520 nm and 423 nm, respectively. We observe an increase in the absorption intensities at 598 nm with increase in the concentration of melamine in bromophenol blue dye. The absorption intensities at 520 nm decreases and new peak at 420 nm emerges in methyl red dye-melamine mixture. While the absorption intensities at 420 nm decreases and 520 nm peak emerges in alizarin red S dye-melamine at higher mole ratios. The results indicate that we can choose the appropriate dye of suitable range to detect the concentration of melamine from 3 to 206 mg dm−3. The results demonstrate possible use of the simple method for the qualitative and quantitative detection of melamine in adulterated food samples.