A disposable nano-copper oxide modified screen-printed carbon electrode (CuOSPCE) was developed as a quick and convenient method to identify the bromate content in hair waving products. The electrode was prepared via electrodeposition of copper ions on a bare screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). It was demonstrated that the nano-copper oxide on the SPCEs could significantly enhance the electrochemical reduction of bromate in weak acidic solutions. The analytical results indicate that CuOSPCE coupling with a flow injection analysis (FIA) system (CuOSPCE/FIA) is a sensitive method for the determination of the bromate. A wide linear range from 0.01 to 300 mgL(-1) (66.27 to 1.99 x 106 nmol L-1) was observed, and a detection limit of 3.5 mu g L-1 (23.19 nmol L-1) (DL, S/N = 3) was calculated. The results also indicated that both the sensitivity and the response time of CuOSPCE/FIA toward bromate were not affected by several anions. Furthermore, the CuOSPCE/FIA demonstrated extremely high recovery, ranging from 98.45% to 103.89%, as well as good accuracy compared to the results obtained by a standard iodometric method. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.