Photodegradation of PAHs in passive water samplers

Ian J Allan; Guttorm Christensen; Kine Bæk; Anita Evenset

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.018

Photodegradation of PAHs in passive water samplers

Mar Pollut Bull. 2016 Apr 15;105(1):249-54. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.018. Epub 2016 Feb 11.

Authors

Ian J Allan¹, Guttorm Christensen², Kine Bæk³, Anita Evenset²

Affiliations

¹ Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalleen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: ian.allan@niva.no.
² Akvaplan-NIVA, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway.
³ Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalleen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 26876557
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.018

Abstract

Losses of deuterated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) used as performance reference compounds (PRCs) in semipermeable membrane devices deployed at fifteen coastal sampling sites near Harstad harbour in Northern Norway were used to investigate photodegradation of these photosensitive compounds. Unusual PRC dissipation profiles, especially for samplers exposed <5m below the water surface are indicative of photodegradation. A strong correlation between loss rates for d12-chrysene and d12-benzo[e]pyrene with consistently higher losses of the latter was found. The observed photodegradation rates may be sufficiently high to impact PAH masses absorbed by a factor of two. This study demonstrates that photodegradation during exposure of passive water samplers needs to be taken into account, particularly with deployments close to the water surface, when using SPMD canisters, or when sampling in the Arctic.

Keywords: Arctic; Passive sampler; Performance reference compound; Photodegradation; Semipermeable membrane device.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring / instrumentation*
Norway
Photolysis*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical