Semi-permeable membrane device efficiency for sampling free soluble fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) have been used for KDOC (defined as the partition coefficient of hydrophobic organic contaminants between dissolved organic carbon and water) determination of five selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene). The Aldrich humic acid and the Suwannee river hydrophobic acid isolate (XAD8 isolate) were used as dissolved organic carbon. Uptake rate constants (ku and Rs) were evaluated and the SPMD method was calibrated based on a 3 h exposure time. For the five PAHs, the linearity was checked for water PAH concentration from 1 ng/L to 1 μg/L. The analytical detection limits ranged from 2 to 50 ng/L for the benzo[a]pyrene and the pyrene respectively. The proposed methodology is suitable for facile laboratory KDOC measurement and produces results similar to previously published values.