Organic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that may have adverse affects in aquatic systems are difficult and expensive to quantify because of low aquatic concentrations. Low-density polyethylene has shown promise as an in-situ passive sampler for quantifying CECs in aquatic systems, but the polyethylene-water partition coefficient (KPEW) must be known. KPEWs for the following CECs: brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) 47, tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), dichlorodiphenylmonochloroethene (p,p'-DDMU), dichlorodiphenylnonchlorinatedethene (p,p'-DDNU), methoprene, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) PCB 8, PCB 101, and PCB 209 were measured in a spiked sea water laboratory experiment. KPEW values for methoprene and p,p'-DDNU could not be determined. Log Kpews of the remaining targeted analytes were found to correlate with log octanol-water coefficients (KOW) (KPEW= 0.98*log Kow +0.08, R2=0.88). Using these results, sub ng/L concentrations of these compounds were measured at stations adjacent to wastewater outfalls in both Los Angeles Harbor and in the Santa Monica Bay using PE passive samplers.

Measurement of polyethylene-water partition coefficients for in situ passive sampling of contaminants of emerging concern in Los Angeles, California

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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