Journal article
Equilibrium passive sampling as a tool to study polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Baltic Sea sediment pore-water systems
Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) was applied to provide the first large scale dataset of freely dissolved concentrations for 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Baltic Sea sediment cores. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated glass fibers were used for ex-situ equilibrium sampling followed by automated thermal desorption and GC–MS analysis.
From the PAH concentrations in the fiber coating we examined (i) spatially resolved freely dissolved PAH concentrations (Cfree); (ii) baseline toxicity potential on the basis of chemical activities (a); (iii) site specific mixture compositions; (iv) diffusion gradients at the sediment water interface and within the sediment cores and (v) site specific distribution ratios.
Contamination levels were low in the northern Baltic Sea, moderate to elevated in the Baltic Proper and highest in the Gulf of Finland. Chemical activities were well below levels expected to cause narcosis to benthos organisms. The SPME method is a very sensitive tool that opens new possibilities for studying the PAHs at trace levels in marine environments.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2015 |
Pages: | 296-303 |
ISSN: | 18793363 and 0025326x |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.069 |
ORCIDs: | 0000-0003-3690-2957 , 0000-0002-4603-1107 and Mayer, Philipp |
Bioavailability Dimethylpolysiloxanes Environmental Monitoring Equilibrium passive sampling Finland Freely dissolved pore water concentration Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Geologic Sediments Oceans and Seas Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Seawater Sediment pollution Solid Phase Microextraction Water Pollutants, Chemical baysilon