Methods to assess bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants: Principles, operations, and limitations.
Many important environmental contaminants are hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), which include PCBs, PAHs, PBDEs, DDT and other chlorinated insecticides, among others. Owing to their strong hydrophobicity, HOCs have their final destination in soil or sediment, where their ecotoxicological effects are closely regulated by sorption and thus bioavailability. The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in research efforts in developing and applying partitioning based methods and biomimetic extractions for measuring HOC bioavailability. However, the many variations of both analytical methods and associated measurement endpoints are often a source of confusion for users. In this review, we distinguish the most commonly used analytical approaches based on their measurement objectives, and illustrate their practical operational steps, strengths and limitations using simple flowcharts. This review may serve as guidance for new users on the selection and use of established methods, and a reference for experienced investigators to identify potential topics for further research.
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China.
Xinyi
X
Cui
Philipp
P
Mayer
Jay
J
Gan
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls