Biological effects due to environmental organic pollutants are generally caused by mixtures rather than single compounds. When measuring these effects using toxicity bioassays, the initial sampling of the mixture is a critical first step. Ideally, this should sample all mixture components and specifically target their bioavailable dissolved levels. Passive sampling is attractive here: it is practical, allows <i>in situ</i> sampling and targets the dissolved compound levels. However, interfacing passive sampling with mixture toxicity testing remains challenging due to the mixture profile accumulated in the sampler being different to that in the field. For kinetic sampling this is due to compound-specific differences in sampling rates. For equilibrium sampling this is due to compound-specific differences in partitioning ratios. Therefore, sampler extraction and spiking inevitably leads to a different mixture profile in the toxicity test, and is further accompanied by poor exposure control during the test. One way to robustly sample, reproduce and maintain field mixtures in toxicity tests is by combing equilibrium passive sampling and dosing. This permits the <i>in situ</i> bioavailable mixture profile in the environment to be sampled, and subsequently to be faithfully reproduced and maintained in the toxicity test. The approach can even be extended to the concentration-response testing of environmental mixtures by loading onto larger/smaller polymer volumes. There remain, however, significant challenges associated with equilibrium sampling and dosing. These are related to the impractically long sampler equilibration times and a lack of polymers with suitable properties for handling of both polar and non-polar contaminants. Nevertheless, progress is being made here and this will be reviewed in this contribution.

Living the impossible dream: Measuring environmental mixture toxicity by combining equilibrium passive sampling and dosing

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

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