A Simple Teabag Equilibrium Passive Sampler using hydrophilic divinylbenzene sorbent for contaminants of emerging concern in the marine environment

Francis Vanryckeghem; Steve Huysman; Foppe Smedes; Herman Van Langenhove; Lynn Vanhaecke; Kristof Demeestere

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146055

A Simple Teabag Equilibrium Passive Sampler using hydrophilic divinylbenzene sorbent for contaminants of emerging concern in the marine environment

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jul 10:777:146055. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146055. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Authors

Francis Vanryckeghem¹, Steve Huysman², Foppe Smedes³, Herman Van Langenhove¹, Lynn Vanhaecke⁴, Kristof Demeestere⁵

Affiliations

¹ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Ghent, Belgium.
² Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis (LCA), Merelbeke, Belgium.
³ Masaryk University, Faculty of Sciences, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Brno, Czech Republic.
⁴ Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis (LCA), Merelbeke, Belgium; Queen's University, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
⁵ Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Kristof.Demeestere@UGent.be.

PMID: 33684757
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146055

Abstract

A promising concept for sampling contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) using a home-made Simple Teabag Equilibrium Passive Sampler (STEPS) containing hydrophilic divinylbenzene (h-DVB) sorbent is presented and evaluated for application in estuarine systems. The uptake of a multi-class mixture of CECs with a broad polarity range (Log P ranging from -0.1 to 9.9) was investigated in static exposure batch experiments. Sampling rates (R_s) and equilibrium partitioning coefficients (K_sw) were determined for up to 74 CECs. Fast uptake (R_s = 0.3-12 L d^-1) was noticed and the STEPS attained equilibrium partitioning after 1 to 2 weeks of exposure, with Log K_sw ranging from 4.1 to 6.5 L kg^-1. Field application of this novel h-DVB containing STEPS, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry, revealed the presence of up to 40 steroidal hormones, (alkyl)phenols, phthalates, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides in the Belgian Part of the North Sea. The measured trace concentrations (from 0.003 ng L^-1 to 1.9 μg L^-1) and good precision (average RSD < 30%, n = 3) demonstrate the STEPS as fit-for-purpose for micropollutant analysis in the marine environment.

Keywords: Equilibrium partitioning; Marine environment; Micropollutant; Passive sampling; Sampling rate; Teabag.