Tannic acid (TA) is a natural non-toxic organic acid with corrosion inhibitive property for metals and alloys. A chemiluminescence (CL) system of KIO4 (potassium periodate)-H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)-Tween40 has been employed in the detection of tannic acid in industrial wastewater. Tannic acid hydrolyzes to form mainly glucose and gallic acid. Its astringent property is due to the presence of polyphenolic groups.