Time Weighted Average Concentration Monitoring Based on Thin Film Solid Phase Microextraction

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Aquatic environments are increasingly contaminated with UV blockers and biocides.
• Accurate monitoring of these compounds is crucial for environmental risk assessment.
• Existing methods for contaminant quantification can be resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate passive samplers for time-weighted average (TWA) quantification of UV blockers and biocides in aquatic environments.
• To evaluate two types of thin film solid phase microextraction (TF-SPME) devices with different coatings (HLB and C18).
• To assess the feasibility of a one-calibrant kinetic calibration technique for nonpolar compounds.

Main Methods:

• Utilized time-weighted average (TWA) passive sampling with TF-SPME coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
• Evaluated retracted HLB-coated TF-SPME devices for polar analytes and open-bed C18-coated devices for nonpolar analytes.
• Employed a one-calibrant kinetic calibration technique using a deuterated standard for nonpolar compound quantification.

Main Results:

• The HLB-coated TF-SPME device demonstrated linear uptake for polar analytes up to 70 days.
• The one-calibrant kinetic calibration technique proved effective for quantifying nonpolar compounds, even without specific deuterated counterparts.
• Field trials in the Grand River confirmed the suitability of the developed passive samplers for both long-term and short-term monitoring of diverse contaminants.

Conclusions:

• Developed TF-SPME passive samplers are effective tools for TWA monitoring of polar and nonpolar contaminants in aquatic systems.
• The one-calibrant kinetic calibration method offers a cost-effective alternative for quantifying nonpolar compounds.
• These samplers provide reliable data for environmental monitoring and risk assessment of UV blockers and biocides.