(PT042) Silicone rod as passive sampler for monitoring organic pollutants in surface waters.
Paschke, A.1, Schröter, U.1, Schwab, K.1, Möckel, C.1, Schüürmann, G.1, 1 UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
ABSTRACT- As result of our continuing research in the development of new time-integrative and biomimetic sampling tools for organic micropollutants in aqueous environments we found silicone rod to be a very suitable collector phase. The general advantages of this material compared to established sampling devices (semipermeable membrane devices, SPMDs, or dosimeters) are its processing without further clean-up steps by direct thermodesorption or solvent microextraction, and the formidable saving of costs. Like SPMDs, the silicone rod can be spiked with reference compounds before deployment to correct for differences in the exposure conditions and can also be subject to biological effect screening (after digestion using an appropriate solvent). In summer 2003 we have exposed this new sampler type together with SPMDs over three to four weeks at five sampling points in the Elbe river (Germany) and at one point in the heavily polluted Spittelwasser stream. The sampling locations represent very different flow and hydrochemical conditions. The results of our field trial will be presented together with values of sampling rates obtained in a preliminary calibration study. Conclusions will be drawn on the applicability of the new sampler type as inexpensive and multifunctional alternative to established passive samplers for monitoring persistent (more hydrophobic) organic compounds in surface waters.
Key words: silicone, passive sampling, SPMD, water contaminants