PARENT SESSION

1A - Environmental Analytical Methods
Hall 8
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Monday, 28 April 2003
Chair: Schäffer, A.¹, ¹
Co-chair: Bester, K.², ²

(MO8/2) Equilibrium sampling devices: An emerging analytical strategy for monitoring exposure to hydrophobic organic chemicals.

Mayer, Philipp ^{1, 2}, Tolls, Johannes ², Hermens, Joop L.M.², Mackay, Donald³, ¹ National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Denmark, Denmark² IRAS, Utrecht University, Netherlands, Netherlands³ Trent University, Peterborough, Canada, Canada

ABSTRACT- Monitoring the concentrations of organic chemicals in environmental media has been highly successful in detecting affected environments, elucidating contaminant pathways, and setting remedial objectives. An alternative and, we believe increasingly attractive approach, is to monitor the equilibrium status of contaminants from environmental media, i.e. sense the fugacity or chemical potential. Recent developments in equilibrium sampling devices (ESD) to reduce and control response times have resulted in the emergence of an increasingly powerful and attractive ability to sense the fugacity of a contaminant in a variety of media. The potential applications of the ESD technique and its advantages are discussed.

Key words: fugacity sensing, equilibrium sampling devices, solid phase microextraction, passive sampling