Its presence is useful as a guide in geochemical exploration. Manganese, iron, and iodine may interfere with the determination. However, subterranean and surface brines, having a higher bromine content than seawater, continue to be the most economic and preferred sources for production. The two largest commercial production sources today are the Arkansas subterranean brines and the Dead Sea brines. Production Processing Techniques Bromine is produced currently by two processes known as steaming out and blowing out .
Impurities are mainly chlorine, water, and traces of organic material.
Consumers require strict control of organic impurities, which may be introduced into the product along with chlorine. Dead Sea, Great Lakes, and Ethyl use the steaming out process for the concentrated bromide banes, whereas Tosoh, Atochem, and Associated Octel use the blowing out process for the less concentrated seawater. The balance of the elemental bromine is shipped to a large variety of chemical processors, who convert it into such products as agricultural chemicals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, biocides, halons, and photographic chemicals. The principal product is methyl bromide, which functions as a complete soil sterilant with very effective herbicidal and nematocidal properties. Methyl bromide also is used as a space fumigant, insecticide, and rodenticide in food processing plants, grain silos, warehouses, and houses.