title: Development and calibration of a passive sampler for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in water.
abstract: N-Nitrosamines such as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) are organic compounds of environmental concern in groundwater, wastewater and potable water due to their potent carcinogenicity in laboratory animal studies and probable human carcinogenicity. While passive sampling techniques have become a widely used tool for providing time-averaged estimates of trace pollutant concentration, for chemicals such as NDMA that have relatively high water solubility, the selection of a suitable sorbent is difficult. This work is a proof of principle study that investigated for the first time the use of coconut charcoal as a passive sampler sorbent. Apparent charcoal/water sorption coefficients for NDMA were >551 mL g(-1) at environmentally relevant aqueous concentrations of less than 1 μg L(-1). Under the experimental conditions employed, a sampling rate of 0.45 L d(-1) was determined and for an aqueous concentration of 1000 ng L(-1), it is predicted that the sampler remains in the linear uptake stage for approximately 4d, while equilibrium attainment would require about 26 d. The presence of humic acid, used as a surrogate for DOC, enhanced NDMA sorption on the coconut charcoal.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Rd., Coopers Plains QLD 4108, Australia. k.sarit@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Sarit L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kaserzon
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Darryl W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Holling
authors.forename: Beate I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Escher
authors.forename: Kees
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Booij
authors.forename: Jochen F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine