title: Using long-term air monitoring of semi-volatile organic compounds to evaluate the uncertainty in polyurethane-disk passive sampler-derived air concentrations.
abstract: Much effort has been made to standardise sampling procedures, laboratory analysis, data analysis, etc. for semi volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs). Yet there are some unresolved issues in regards to comparing measurements from one of the most commonly used passive samplers (PAS), the polyurethane foam (PUF) disk PAS (PUF-PAS), between monitoring networks or different studies. One such issue is that there is no universal means to derive a sampling rate (Rs) or to calculate air concentrations (Cair) from PUF-PAS measurements for SVOCs. Cairwas calculated from PUF-PAS measurements from a long-term monitoring program at a site in central Europe applying current understanding of passive sampling theory coupled with a consideration for the sampling of particle associated compounds. Cairwere assessed against concurrent active air sampler (AAS) measurements. Use of "site-based/sampler-specific" variables: Rs, calculated using a site calibration, provided similar results for most gas-phase SVOCs to air concentrations derived using "default" values (commonly accepted Rs). Individual monthly PUF-PAS-derived air concentrations for the majority of the target compounds were significantly different (Wilcoxon signed-rank (WSR) test; p < 0.05) to AAS regardless of the input values (site/sampler based or default) used to calculate them. However, annual average PUF-PAS-derived air concentrations were within the same order of magnitude as AAS measurements except for the particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Underestimation of PUF-derived air concentrations for particle-phase PAHs was attributed to a potential overestimation of the particle infiltration into the PUF-PAS chamber and underestimation of the particle bound fraction of PAHs.
authors.affiliation: RECETOX -Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czechia. Electronic address: holt@recetox.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Instituttveien 18, PO Box 100, NO-2027 Kjeller, Norway.
authors.forename: Pernilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bohlin-Nizzetto
authors.affiliation: RECETOX -Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czechia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borůvková
authors.affiliation: Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harner
authors.affiliation: RECETOX -Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czechia.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalina
authors.affiliation: RECETOX -Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czechia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Melymuk
authors.affiliation: RECETOX -Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czechia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klánová
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D002138:Calibration; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D035501:Uncertainty; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011140:Polyurethanes; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C028279:polyurethane foam
keywords: Air monitoring; Data comparability; Data interpretation; Passive sampling; Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)