Uptake of some selected aquatic pollutants in semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS)

Abstract

The uptake characteristics of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCISs) were examined for mono, di and tributyltin, triphenyltin, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, PCBs 77 and 153, PBDE 47, lindane, triclosan and DDT. Exposure in a flow through system continued for 28 days with samplers removed every 7 days in order to study the relevant uptake kinetics. Uptake remained linear for POCISs with sampling rates (Rs) of up to 0.2 L d(-1). For SPMDs uptake varied from linear to approaching equilibrium with Rs values of up to 14 L d(-1). 7 out of 9 results for SPMDs could be explained by an empirical model (nonylphenol and lindane were exceptions). None of the four organo-tin compounds studied were detected in POCISs and only tributyltin was accumulated significantly by SPMDs. The establishment of these sampling rates allows the calculation of time weighted water concentrations for several important contaminants. Using presented methods, sampling rates and exposure conditions, theoretical detection limits for selected compounds by SPMDs were between 11-68 pg L(-1), which is well below the environment quality standard proposed for those compounds that are included in the European Water Framework Directive.

Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides in aquatic systems

“…Since their development, POCIS have been successfully applied in surface waters (lagoon, riverine and marine) and sewage effluents in the detection and quantification of numerous organic compounds like pharmaceuticals, polar pesticides, steroids, alkylphenols and hormones (Alvarez et al, , 2005Jones-Lepp et al, 2004;Petty et al, 2004;MacLeod et al, 2007;Mazzella et al, 2007Mazzella et al, , 2010Togola and Budzinski, 2007a;Arditsoglou and Voutsa, 2008;Zhang et al, 2008;Harman et al, 2008aHarman et al, , 2008bHarman et al, , 2009Martínez Bueno et al, 2009;Li et al, 2010a,b;Pesce et al, 2011;Munaron et al, 2012).…”

The occurrence of illicit and therapeutic pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluent and surface waters in Nebraska

“…Its ease of use and apparent resistance to biofouling make it particu-larly attractive for determining time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of organic compounds in water . POCIS have been used previously for both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and hormones in surface waters (Alvarez et al, , 2007Arditsoglou and Voutsa, 2008;Harman et al, 2008;Jones-Lepp et al, 2004;MacLeod et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2008).…”

Release of dissolved trace metals and organic contaminants during deep water disposal of contaminated sediments from Oslo harbour, Norway

“…Quantification of individual components was conducted by the relative response of internal standards. Further descriptions of procedures for extraction, clean-up and chemical analysis can be found in Harman et al (2008).…”

“…This is of special relevance here as concentrations may vary with the level of depositional activity. Additionally, they often allow lower detection limits (Lebo et al 1995;Harman et al 2008) and sample only the biologically relevant freely dissolved fraction. The semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) (Huckins et al 1990) was chosen to measure organic contaminants as these have been extensively used in monitoring studies (Esteve-Turrillas et al 2008), and models explaining chemical uptake are available (Huckins et al 2006).…”