Passive sampling membrane devices

Prest, H.F., W.M. Jarman, S.A. Bums, T. Weismuller, M. Martin, and J.N. Huckins. 1992. Passive water sampling via semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) in concert with bivalves in the Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta. Chemosphere 25 1811-1823. 

Based on earlier work (Lieb and Stein, 1969 Chiou, 1985 Sddergren, 1987 Zabik, 1988) Huckins etal. (1989,1990a, 1993) flrstdeveloped and tested two types of lipid-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) for in situ passive sampling of bioavailable dissolved aqueous-phase HOCs. The lipid-containing... 

Ockenden, W.A. Prest, H.E. Thomas, G.O. Sweetman, A. Jones, K.C. 1998, Passive air sampling of PCBs Eield calculation of atmospheric sampling rates by triolein-containing semipermeable membrane devices. Environ. Sci. Technol. 32 1538—1543. 

Prest, H.F. Jacobson, L.A. Huckins, J.N. 1995, Passive sampling of water and coastal air via semipermeable membrane devices. Chemosphere 30 1351-1361. 

Soderstrom, H.S. and Bergqvist, P.-A. 2004, Passive air sampling using semipermeable membrane devices at different wind-speeds in situ calibrated by performance reference compounds. Environ. Sci. Tecknol. 38 4828-4834. 

Wagman N, Strandberg B, TysklindM. 1998, Passive sampling of PCBsfromin—and outdoor air with semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs). Organohal. Comp. 35 209-212. 

The authors have been intimately involved in eondueting research to address many aspects of environmental contaminants for about three decades. Historically, samples of environmental matrices, particularly water and air have been collected at narrow windows of time (i.e., minutes or several hours) which are not representative of the exposure experienced by organisms. Consequently, we initiated the development of what would ultimately be the semipermeable membrane device (SPMD). The SPMD has subsequently proven to be an effective passive sampler for a wide range of hydrophobic contaminants in multiple media. To date, there are more than 180 peer reviewed publications in the open scientific literature, where SPMDs are used for a variety of applications. Some of these publications are critical of the use of passive samplers for certain applications. However, constructive criticism has greatly aided in defining information gaps and limitations of the passive sampling approach. 

FIGURE 3.1 Concentration profiles in a passive sampling device. The driving force of accumulation is the difference in chemical potentials of the analyte between the bulk water and the sorption phase. The mass transfer of an analyte is governed by the overall resistance along the whole diffusional path, including contributions from the individual barriers (e.g., aqueous boundary layer, biofilm layer, and membrane). 

There are several future trends for the development of passive sampling techniques. The first is the development of devices that can be used to monitor emerging environmental pollutants. Recently, attention has shifted from hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants to compounds with a medium-to-high polarity, for example, polar pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.82 147148 Novel materials will need to be tested as selective receiving phases (e.g., ionic liquids, molecularly imprinted polymers, and immunoadsorbents), together with membrane materials that permit the selective diffusion of these chemicals. The sample extraction and preconcentration methods used for these devices will need to be compatible with LC-MS analytical techniques. 

Brumbaugh, W.G., J.D. Petty, J.N. Huckins, and S.E. Manahan. 2002. Stabilized liquid membrane device (SLMD) for the passive, integrative sampling of labile metals in water. Water Air Soil Pollut. 133 109-119. 

Configuration of these samplers has been described in detail by Alvarez et al. (2004, 2007) and Huckins et al. (2006) as well in the UK standard PAS 61 2006 Determination of priority pollutants in surface water using passive sampling (PAS 61 2006). Both devices consist of a receiving phase (sorbent or lipid) enclosed in a diffusion membrane. 

A range of passive sampling devices has also recently been developed. Such devices operate on the basis of diffusion of contaminants of interest across an appropriate membrane into a storage medium such as triolein or isooctane (in case of lipophilic contaminants). These latter devices are discussed more fully below. 

E. Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMD) for Passive Sampling. 571... 

A passive sampling device was constructed using the commercially available Twister sorbent stir bar by enclosing it inside a dialysis membrane. This device has been called a membrane-enclosed sorptive coating sampler or MESCO. Extraction efficiencies were three orders of magnitude lower than for SPMD due a lower sampling rate, however, the sensitivity was comparable because all of the collected analyte is desorbed into the GC whereas in SPMD, only a small sample in injected for analysis. Twister stir bars are also much smaller and can be deployed less conspicuously. 

Prest, H. F. and Jacobson, L. A., Passive water sampling for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons using lipid-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) application to contaminant residence times, Chemosphere, 35, 3047-3063, 1997. 

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