Polyethylene Devices:  Passive Samplers for Measuring Dissolved Hydrophobic Organic Compounds in Aquatic Environments

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2007-02, Vol.41 (4), p.1317-1323
• Main Authors: Adams, Rachel G, Lohmann, Rainer, Fernandez, Loretta A, MacFarlane, John K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Aquatic ecosystems; Chemical compounds; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Environmental science; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Laboratories; Massachusetts; Natural water pollution; Organic chemicals; PCB; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Polyethylene; Polyethylene - chemistry; Seawater; Seawater - analysis; Sodium Chloride - analysis; Solubility; Temperature; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es0621593

We demonstrate the use of polyethylene devices (PEDs) for assessing hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in aquatic environments. Like semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME), PEDs passively accumulate HOCs in proportion to their freely dissolved concentrations. Polyethylene-water partition constants (K PEWs) were measured in the laboratory for eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), five polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and one polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), and these were found to correlate with octanol−water partition constants (K OWs; log K PEW = 1.13 log K OW − 0.86, R 2 = 0.89). Temperature and salinity dependencies of K PEW values for the HOCs tested were well predicted with excess enthalpies of solution in water and Setschenow constants, respectively. We also showed that standards, impregnated in the PED before deployment, can be used to correct for incomplete equilibrations. Using PEDs, we measured phenanthrene and pyrene at ng/L concentrations and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl at pg/L concentrations in Boston Harbor seawater, consistent with our findings using traditional procedures. PEDs are cheap and robust samplers, competent to accomplish in situ, time-averaged passive sampling with fast equilibration times (∼days) and simplified laboratory analyses.