Wastewater surveillance (WWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the evolution of passive sampling technology. Throughout the pandemic, WWS provided a complementary monitoring strategy to better understand SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in communities in over 60 countries. However, conventional wastewater sampling methods are susceptible to dispersion and dilution of the viral target that occurs in the collection system. A novel 3D-printed passive sampler that houses adsorbent material was developed to concentrate solids and associated virus from wastewater. This approach provides more reliable SARS-CoV-2 detection than conventional sampling techniques, and over 150 of these devices have been distributed around the world. This successful approach for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater inspired the adaptation of the passive sampler for investigating impacts of climate change on source water quality. Such impacts are evident in increases in the frequency, duration, and severity of harmful algal blooms. As with wastewater, conventional sampling strategies for surface water pose a significant challenge in developing effective monitoring programs. Moreover, sufficiently sensitive analytical methods are required for detecting trace levels of contaminants in these complex matrices. In bench-scale experiments designed to simulate passive sampling in source water, different sorbents were placed in lake water samples spiked with geosmin, a notorious taste and odour compound produced by cyanobacteria. Geosmin was eluted from each sorbent using different solvents and analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A recovery of 61% was achieved with excellent precision (RSD = 2%). Moreover, in bench-scale experiments for passive sampling of cyanotoxins spiked into lake water samples, initial microcystin-LR recovery was 28%. In field studies comparing passive and grab sampling strategies, cyanobacterial toxin-producing genes cyrA and sxtA were detected (via RT-qPCR analysis) in surface water more frequently through passive sampling than grab sampling. Further method development will include optimizing solvent volume and sorbent mass to maximize recoveries. Redesigning the innovative wastewater passive sampling approach channeled the development of new strategies for the simple and cost-effective analysis of cyanobacteria and their harmful metabolites in source water to better understand their relationships with drinking water quality and climatic drivers.

Advances in passive sampling technology: From wastewater surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic to measuring effects of climate change in surface water

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.