Abstract

Two types of passive sampler were developed for the long-term monitoring of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) in air. They consist of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-coated stir bars (type A) or silicone tubing (type B), acting as a solid receiving medium, enclosed in a heat-sealed low-density polyethylene (LDPE) membrane. These samplers combine the advantages of integrative passive sampling with those of analysing accumulated analytes by thermodesorption-GC-MS, whilst avoiding the use of solvents and expensive sample preparation and cleanup steps. The performance of these samplers was investigated for the integrative sampling of SOCs, including α- and γ-hexachlorocyclohexanes, hexachlorobenzene, 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl, 2,2′,5,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl and fluoranthene, in laboratory exposure experiments under controlled conditions. For both types of sampler, the uptake of all the analytes investigated was linear over an exposure period of 15 days. The sampling rates calculated ranged from 70 to 320 ml h⁻¹ (sampler A) and 630 to 4300 ml h⁻¹ (sampler B). The passive samplers are able to detect low time-weighted average air concentrations in the pg m⁻³ range. The small, robust and inexpensive sampling devices were tested successfully for the long-term air monitoring of semivolatile organic pollutants in a polluted area over an exposure period of up to 28 days.