Carbonate, a naturally occurring anion in water and aqueous solutions, results from the dissolution of carbon dioxide gas in these solutions. In some beverages, carbon dioxide is purposely added for flavor or effervescence and
also acts as a preservative. When samples are analyzed by ion chromatography (IC) with hydroxide and tetraborate eluents, the sample carbonate may coelute and interfere
with the quantification of anions of interest (for example, nitrite, bromide, sulfate, or perchlorate).
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