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Performance of Passive Samplers for Monitoring Estuarine Water Column Concentrations: 1. Contaminants of Concern
Citation:
Perron, M., R. Burgess, E. Suuberg, M. Cantwell, AND K. Pennell. Performance of Passive Samplers for Monitoring Estuarine Water Column Concentrations: 1. Contaminants of Concern. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 32(10):2182-2189, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
In this study, the performance of three common passive samplers were evaluated for sampling dissolved concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA). Contaminants were measured in polyethylene (PE), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers. Dissolved concentrations were then calculated using measured sampler concentrations adjusted for equilibrium conditions with performance reference compounds (PRCs) and the chemical-specific partition coefficients derived in the laboratory. Despite differences in PE and POM sampler concentrations, dissolved concentrations for each chemical class were found to be of the same magnitude at each site. Concentrations in SPME were not reported due to lack of detectable chemical in the amount of PDMS polymer deployed.
Description:
Contaminants enter marine and estuarine environments and can potentially pose risk to human and ecological health. Measuring contaminants of concern (COC) in these aqueous media can be difficult due to their relatively low solubilities and tendency to associate with environmental particles. Recently, passive sampling devices have been utilized to estimate dissolved concentrations of COC, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the present study, the performance of three common passive samplers was evaluated for sampling PAHs and PCBs at several stations in the temperate estuary Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA). Sampler polymers included polyethylene, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers, and polyoxymethylene (POM). Dissolved concentrations of each contaminant were calculated using measured sampler concentrations adjusted for equilibrium conditions with performance reference compounds (PRCs) and chemical-specific partition coefficients derived in the laboratory. Despite differences in PE and POM sampler concentrations, dissolved concentrations for each chemical class were found to be of the same magnitude at each site. Calculated total dissolved concentrations ranged from 14-93 ng/L and 13-465 pg/L for PAHs and PCBs, respectively. Concentrations in SPME were not reported due to lack of detectable chemical in the amount of PDMS polymer deployed. Although continued research is needed to improve and support their use for routing monitoring programs, both PE and POM were found to be effective water column sampling devices for COC.
