Modelling the fate of micropollutants in the marine environment using passive sampling

Michiel Claessens; Frederik De Laender; Els Monteyne; Patrick Roose; Colin R Janssen

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.040

Modelling the fate of micropollutants in the marine environment using passive sampling

Mar Pollut Bull. 2015 Jul 15;96(1-2):103-9. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.040. Epub 2015 May 19.

Authors

Michiel Claessens¹, Frederik De Laender², Els Monteyne³, Patrick Roose³, Colin R Janssen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: michielclaessens@gmail.com.
² Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
³ Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, 2e en 23e Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium.
⁴ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.

PMID: 26002097
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.040

Abstract

Polydimethylsiloxane sheets were used to determine freely dissolved concentrations (C(diss)) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Belgian coastal zone. Equilibrium models were used to predict the whole water concentrations (C(ww)) of these compounds as well as their concentrations in sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and biota. In general, contaminant concentrations were predicted well for whole water and biota. C(ww) was increasingly underpredicted as K(oc) increased, possibly because of the presence of black carbon. Concentrations in biota were overestimated by the equilibrium approach when logK(ow) exceeded 6.5, suggesting an increasing role of transformation processes. Concentrations of PAHs and PCBs in sediment and SPM were consistently underpredicted although a good correlation between measured and predicted values was observed. This was potentially due to the use of experimental K(oc) values which have been found to underestimate partitioning of hydrophobic substances to sediment in field studies.

Keywords: Environmental fate; Equilibrium modelling; Marine environment; Passive sampling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Environment
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Models, Chemical*
Particulate Matter
Polychlorinated Biphenyls / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Particulate Matter
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Polychlorinated Biphenyls