Bożena Zabiegała

Passive sampling for long-term monitoring of organic pollutants in water

Abstract Commonly used monitoring systems usually record only pollutant concentrations at a specific point in time. Passive dosimetry, widely used to monitor air pollutants, can also be applied to monitor organic contaminants in water. Contrary to dynamic techniques, passive sampling is less sensitive to accidental extreme variations of the organic pollutant concentration in natural waters. A passive sampler can cover a long sampling period, integrating the pollutant concentration over time. Since only a few analyses are necessary over the monitoring period, analytical costs (usually connected with expensive dynamic sample isolation and preconcentration techniques) can be reduced substantially. Moreover, decomposition of the sample during transport and storage and/or changes during sample enrichment are also minimised. In this review, the present state of the art of passive water sampling for long-term monitoring of organic pollutants in water is discussed.

PBDEs in environmental samples: Sampling and analysis

The paper reviews the subject literature concerning analytical procedures routinely sed for monitoring polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in environmental samples. It describes and summarizes subsequent stages of analytical procedure including sample collection and preparation, extraction, clean-up and final determination. Different approaches with their advantages and limitations are presented. Special attention is drawn to the newly developed, promising extraction techniques, especially: liquid-liquid-microextraction (LLME) with its modifications, cloud point extraction (CPE) and hollow fiber microextraction. The review compares available detection techniques taking into account their usefulness for determining different PBDEs in complex matrix as well as discussing possible limitations that may occur during the analysis. The quality assurance and quality control aspect of analytical procedure is described. Finally special attention is paid to the determination of highly brominated PBDE compounds (e.g. BDE209), which requires implementation of different analytical approach.

Permeation passive sampling as a tool for the evaluation of indoor air quality

Time-weighted average concentrations of selected volatile organic air pollutants were determined in eight apartments in the city of Gdansk (Poland) using permeation passive sampling. The samplers were recalibrated prior to use by controlled exposure to standard gaseous mixtures of the analytes. Small but statistically significant differences were found between the calibration constants determined initially and after one year of field use of the samplers for some of the analytes. The results obtained by the passive sampling technique were compared to those obtained by dynamic sampling using active charcoal-filled tubes, and dynamic sampling using Tenax-TA tubes. Overall, the results obtained by the three techniques were similar. Maximum allowable concentrations of the analytes were not exceeded in any of the apartments examined. The results of total volatile organic compounds determination indicated that some VOCs were unaccounted for in the experiment. The effect of outside air infiltration on indoor air quality was evaluated by comparing analyte concentrations in indoor air and in outdoor air in the very vicinity of the apartment. This effect was found to be minimal.

Current air quality analytics and monitoring: A review

This review summarizes the different tools and concepts that are commonly applied in air quality monitoring. The monitoring of atmosphere is extremely important as the air quality is an important problem for large communities. Main requirements for analytical devices used for monitoring include a long period of autonomic operation and portability. These instruments, however, are often characterized by poor analytical performance. Monitoring networks are the most common tools used for monitoring, so large-scale monitoring programmes are summarized here. Biomonitoring, as a cheap and convenient alternative to traditional sample collection, is becoming more and more popular, although its main drawback is the lack of standard procedures. Telemonitoring is another approach to air monitoring, which offers some interesting opportunities, such as ease of coverage of large or remote areas, constituting a complementary approach to traditional strategies; however, it requires huge costs.

Application of Passive Samplers in Monitoring of Organic Constituents of Air

The principles of passive dosimetry, which has been known for over 100 years, are finding an ever increasing use in analytical practice and are being used as a convenient technique for isolation and enrichment of analytes from various environmental media. Due to its simplicity, a variety of designs, as well as the possibility of using a number of different final determination techniques, passive dosimetry has been applied in the analysis of organic and inorganic air pollutants, both in the outdoor and the indoor and workplace atmospheres, as well as in the monitoring of water and soil pollution. This paper is an attempt to review the designs of existing passive samplers, the media used to trap analytes and the techniques used for the release of the trapped analytes and their final determination.

Occurrence and levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in house dust and hair samples from Northern Poland; an assessment of human exposure

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are among most ubiquitous compounds to be found in indoor environment and ingestion of household dust is considered an important route of exposure to PBDEs, especially in toddlers and young children. The present work reported concentration levels of PBDE congeners (PBDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154, -183 and -209) in hair and dust samples from selected households from Northern Poland. The concentrations of PBDEs in dust ranged from <MDL to 615ngg(-)(1) while from <MDL to 25ngg(-1) in human hair. PBDE-209 was reported the dominating congener. Two separated exposure scenarios (mean and 95th percentile) were used to provide a comprehensive overview of possible risks arising from ingestion of household dust. The estimated exposure to ∑PBDEs via ingestion of household dust varied from 21 to 92ngd(-1) in toddlers and from 3.7 to 20ngd(-1) in adults. By comparison of correlation between the concentrations of PBDEs in paired hair and dust samples the present work also investigated the possibility of use of hair for reflecting the actual exposure to PBDEs in humans. Finally the possible uncertainties associated with exposure assessment were investigated in the present study.

Sample preparation for gas chromatographic determination of halogenated volatile organic compounds in environmental and biological samples.

In this review, the wide spectrum of the techniques of isolation and/or preconcentration and final determination of halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs) in water, air, soil, sediment and biological fluids are presented and discussed. The techniques discussed are solvent microextraction, solid phase extraction, gas extraction (static and dynamic techniques), membrane processes and passive sampling. Also, direct techniques, such as direct aqueous injection into gas chromatography (GC) column and membrane inlet mass spectrometry, are presented. Main attention is paid to the practical application of these techniques during all HVOCs determination.

Solventless sample preparation techniques based on solid- and vapour-phase extraction

The main objective of this review is to critically evaluate recent developments in solventless sample preparation techniques. The potential of a variety of sample preparation techniques based on solid- and vapour-phase extraction techniques is evaluated. Direct thermal extraction and derivatization processes to facilitate the extraction of analytes in different areas are included. The applicability, disadvantages and advantages of each sample preparation technique for the determination of environmental contaminants in different matrices are discussed.

Monitoring and analytics of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in indoor air

This paper reviews literature information on the behaviour of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in the indoor environment, as well as the most likely emission sources. The consecutive stages of analytical procedures used for monitoring SVOCs in indoor environments are described. The most common approaches used for collecting samples from the gas and particulate phases are mentioned. The paper discusses and compares various types of sorbents and filters applied in dynamic, passive and denudational techniques, as well as the techniques used to liberate the SVOCs, including Soxhlet, sonication and microwave extraction. The main advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed, together with possible future trends. The approaches commonly used during the final determination step, such as gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, are presented together with their possible drawbacks, and ways of eliminating them are suggested. The review makes brief reference to the effects of human exposure to SVOCs in house dust and discusses the main aspects of the analytical procedures used to monitor the presence of SVOCs in this medium.

Changes in concentration levels of selected VOCs in newly erected and remodelled buildings in Gdansk

Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, butyl acetate, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, styrene and m-dichlorobenzene were measured in three newly erected and remodelled dwellings. The present study also attempted to examine the time dependence of concentrations of selected VOCs in each investigated dwelling. This was accomplished by at least triplicate measurements of the IAQ. To collect a series of air samples the active and passive methods were used. In both cases activated charcoal was applied as a sorption medium. The samples were recovered by solvent extraction, and analysed by capillary column gas chromatography, employing a flame ionisation detector. The experimental results showed that MAC values for analysed VOCs were exceeded (even a few orders of magnitude) for the measurements made before inhabiting of the occupants, in every investigated dwelling. The concentrations of the investigated VOCs decreased significantly with time, which should be expected, although in some cases the levels of selected VOCs remained still high. Our experience indicates that parallel application of two different indoor air sampling techniques to determine analytes of interest, though more laborious and time consuming, can lead to significant conclusions concerning indoor air quality in monitored spaces.