title: Modelling the fate of micropollutants in the marine environment using passive sampling.
abstract: Polydimethylsiloxane sheets were used to determine freely dissolved concentrations (C(diss)) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Belgian coastal zone. Equilibrium models were used to predict the whole water concentrations (C(ww)) of these compounds as well as their concentrations in sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and biota. In general, contaminant concentrations were predicted well for whole water and biota. C(ww) was increasingly underpredicted as K(oc) increased, possibly because of the presence of black carbon. Concentrations in biota were overestimated by the equilibrium approach when logK(ow) exceeded 6.5, suggesting an increasing role of transformation processes. Concentrations of PAHs and PCBs in sediment and SPM were consistently underpredicted although a good correlation between measured and predicted values was observed. This was potentially due to the use of experimental K(oc) values which have been found to underestimate partitioning of hydrophobic substances to sediment in field studies.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: michielclaessens@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michiel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claessens
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Laender
authors.affiliation: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, 2e en 23e Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monteyne
authors.affiliation: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, 2e en 23e Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roose
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Environmental fate; Equilibrium modelling; Marine environment; Passive sampling