Evaluation of sodium hydrosulfite residue in sugar crop in Zanjan province and investigation the new alternative method for determination

Sodium hydrosulfite/blanket is used as a decolorizing agent for the bleaching of produced sugar in the sugar industry. Due to sensitivity of using this chemical substance with defined allowed range in sugar product, the sensitive and exact method of voltammetry/polarography was used to measure the residual blanket in this product and moreover, its results were compared with titration method as a common method for measurement of this substance in reference laboratories. Among the active sugar plants in Zanjan province, three different samples of loaf sugar batch were selected from each production unit based on sampling method of Standard and Industrial Research of Iran and all samples were evaluated using polarography 797 VA Computrace. Then, some of the samples evaluated by the polarography method were also checked with titration method and the results of the two methods were compared with each other. Statistical analysis of obtained data from polarography method shows that various sugar factories have different average sugar content values in blanket residual. Comparative system shows that titration method gives a more than usual response to the amount of blanket residual. Polarography method shows that the dithionite content in the samples ranged from <1.40 to 13.24 ppm. However, in 6 percent of obtained samples from different plants, amount of blanket is more than allowable maximum (10 ppm). Comparing the results obtained from assessment of blanket residual amount in polarography method with titration method, shows significant differences between methods.