Comparing the Passive and Active Sampling Devices with Biomonitoring of Pollutants in Langstone and Portsmouth Harbour, UK

Abstract

Two types of integrative sampling approaches (passive samplers and biomonitors) were tested for their sampling characteristics of selected pollutants. Chemical analysis by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MSD) were used to determine the amounts of eight compounds (diuron, γ-HCH, atrazine, irgarol, phenanthrene, dieldrin and two congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls; PCB 52 and PCB 153) in two passive sampling devices (Chemcatcher and Ecoscope) and marine mussels (Mytilus edulis), both had been deployed in Langstone and Portsmouth Harbours, UK. Duiron, irgarol, atrazine and phenanthrene were determined in spot samples of the two deployment sites (Haslar Marina and Port Solent) during field trail. All the compounds except the dieldrin have been detected by Chemcatcher passive samples and mussels. Ecoscope passive samples had the ability to detect diuron and irgarol with lower concentration (1.5 and 22.4 ng L-1, respectively) than detected by Chemcatcher passive samples (1500 and 125 ng device -1) in port Solent after 14 days of the deployment. The study proved that Chemcatcher passive samples and biomonitoring organisms may provide complementary information since, the former samples only the free fraction and the latter both the free and particulate-bound fractions of pollutants in aquatic environments. The Chemcatcher samples has been proved that it can overcome some of the deficiencies of existing devices such as Ecoscope passive samples and to cover a wide range of polarities. It proved also to be the preferred method for assessing the presence of these compounds since, employing mussels had several disadvantages both in sampling efficiency and sample analysis.