Passive Sampler for Combined Chemical and Toxicological Long-Term Monitoring of Groundwater:  The Ceramic Toximeter

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2007-10, Vol.41 (19), p.6868-6876
• Main Authors: Bopp, Stephanie K, McLachlan, Michael S, Schirmer, Kristin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Applied sciences; Bioassays; Cell Line; Ceramics; Chemical spills; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 - metabolism; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Exact sciences and technology; Groundwater; Groundwater pollution; Groundwaters; Laboratories; Natural water pollution; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - chemistry; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity; Polystyrenes; Toxicity; Toxicology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Supply - analysis; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es070807s

We present the development of a passive sampling device that combines chemical with biological assessment of water following time-integrating, long-term sampling. The new device, which was designated the Ceramic Toximeter, brings together the simplicity of the Ceramic Dosimeter as a ceramic membrane-based, solid−sorbent sampler and the uniqueness of a recently developed solid-phase, solvent-free bioassay. In this bioassay, Biosilon, i.e., polystyrene polymer beads, is used to present sorbed contaminants to vertebrate cells that adhere to the contaminant-loaded Biosilon and respond. Focusing on Biosilon as sorbent, its ability to accumulate 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was explored. When tested up to 42 days in the laboratory or 1 year in groundwater at a contaminated gasworks site, Biosilon-filled Ceramic Toximeters yielded back-calculated time-weighted average aqueous PAH concentrations that agreed well with concentrations obtained by frequent snapshot sampling. The chosen bioassay response, the induction of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, was as predicted in the laboratory setting but could only partly be explained by the analyzed PAHs in the field. Based on this first assessment, the Ceramic Toximeter emerges as a resource efficient water monitoring device with a variety of potential future applications.