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Passive in situ samplers for dissolved and sediment-associated organic contaminants

Speakers:Keith A. Maruya
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), 7171 Fenwick Lane, Westminster, CA 92683 USA (keithm@sccwrp.org)
Ze-Yu Yang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaCoastal waterways draining highly urbanized landscapes serve as conduits of potentially toxic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides (e.g. DDTs and chlordanes) to the receiving estuarine/marine environment. Decades long discharge has resulted in contaminant accumulation in nearshore environments such as bays, harbors, marinas and rivermouths, impacting sediment and water quality. Because these compounds have very low aqueous solubility and current measurement technology is not cost-effective, however, little or no data for aqueous concentrations in situ exist, making the determination of loadings (e.g. Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs) difficult at best. Recently developed passive samplers based on solid phase microextraction (SPME) technology and sorption to polyethylene (polyethylene devices or PEDs), however, have made it possible to quantify ultra-trace levels of pollutants in situ at a fraction of the cost and with a much quicker turnaround time than traditional techniques. Disadvantages associated with these passive sampling alternatives, however, are the extended time to reach equilibrium in situ as well as the degree of pre-deployment calibration required to determine equilibrium partitioning parameters. Over the past several years, SCCWRP and CAS have collaborated in cataloguing SPME parameters for a large number of organic analytes, including most organic contaminants that are currently being considered for regulation. A new collaboration between SCCWRP and LMU will calibrate PEDs for selected TMDL regulated organics, and in a subsequent phase, compare the performance of SPME and PED samplers under controlled lab and field conditions.

Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 156

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Evangeline Reyes