A Simple and Rapid Colorimetric Method for Methanol Determination Using Sodium Nitroprusside

Ali  Bakhshi; Mohamadreza  Savaee; Koorosh  Goodarzvand Chegini; Mehdi  Hedayati

doi:10.18502/ijml.v11i1.16540

Ali Bakhshi Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mohamadreza Savaee Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Koorosh Goodarzvand Chegini Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Mehdi Hedayati Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijml.v11i1.16540

Keywords: Colorimetry, Methanol, Poisoning

Abstract

Introduction: Methanol (CH₃OH) exposure can be highly toxic to humans, resulting in severe clinical manifestations and even deaths if left untreated. Therefore, it is vital to estimate the amounts of methanol quickly and accurately to avoid its adverse health impacts. The main goal of the current study was to develop a simple, fast, reliable, and cost-effective colorimetric method for determining methanol amounts in some alcoholic and non-alcoholic samples.

Materials and Methods: A sodium nitroprusside-based colorimetric method was established to detect methanol in hand sanitizers, alcoholic beverages, and herbal distillations. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry apparatus was applied to evaluate the efficacy of the Kit.

Results: The naked eye saw the color change in the presence of methanol. The established method revealed a good sensitivity (0.077%) and accuracy for methanol determination in different samples. Besides, this colorimetric method was precise, with intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variations less than 10%. Notably, the recovery percentages were 96.5% to 108%, indicating the acceptable accuracy of the studied method. The quantitative detection of methanol was finally validated by comparing it with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results.

Conclusions: This colorimetric method has great potential for methanol detection due to advantages such as good sensitivity, acceptable accuracy, and fast response time.