Determination of polydimethylsiloxane–seawater distribution coefficients for polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated pesticides by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Determining buffering capacity of polydimethylsiloxane-based passive dosing for hydrophobic organic compounds in large-volume bioassays

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most widely used material for passive dosing. However, the ability of PDMS to maintain constant water concentrations of chemicals in large-volume bioassays was insufficiently investigated. In this study, we proposed a kinetic-based method to determine the buffering capacity of PDMS for maintaining constant water concentrations of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in large-volume bioassays. A good correlation between log Kow and PDMS-water partitioning coefficients (log KPW) was observed for HOCs with log Kow values ranging from 3.30 to 7.42. For low-molecular-weight HOCs, volatile loss was identified as the primary cause of unstable water concentrations in passive dosing systems. Slow desorption from PDMS resulted in a reduction of water concentrations for high-molecular-weight HOCs. The volume ratio of PDMS to water (RV) was the key factor controlling buffering capacity. As such, buffering capacity was defined as the minimum RV required to maintain 90% of the initial water concentration and was determined to be 0.0076-0.032 for six representative HOCs. Finally, passive dosing with an RV of 0.014 was validated to effectively maintain water concentrations of phenanthrene in 2-L and 96-h toxicity tests with adult mosquitofish. By determining buffering capacity of PDMS, this study recommended specific RV values for cost-efficient implementation of passive dosing approaches in aquatic toxicology, particularly in large-volume bioassays.

Polyethylene-Water and Polydimethylsiloxane-Water Partition Coefficients for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Influence of Polymer Source and Proposed Best Available Values

For most passive sampling applications, the availability of accurate passive sampler-water partition coefficients (K_p-w ) is of key importance. Unfortunately, a huge variability exists in literature K_p-w values, in particular for hydrophobic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This variability is a major source of concern in the passive sampling community, which would benefit from high-quality K_p-w data. Hence, in the present study "best available" PAH and PCB K_p-w values are proposed for the two most often applied passive sampling materials, that is, low-density polyethylene and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), based on (1) a critical assessment of existing literature data, and (2) new K_p-w determinations for polyethylene and PDMS, with both polymers coming in six different versions (suppliers, thicknesses). The experimental results indicated that K_p-w values for PDMS are independent of the source, thus allowing straightforward standardization. In contrast, K_p-w values for polyethylene from different sources differed by up to 30%. Defining best available K_p-w values for this polymer therefore may require standardization of the polymer source. Application of the proposed best available K_p-w values will substantially improve the accuracy of freely dissolved concentration results by users and the potential for comparisons across laboratories. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1370-1380. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Versatile in silico modeling of partition coefficients of organic compounds in polydimethylsiloxane using linear and nonlinear methods

Environmental fate, behavior and effects of hazardous organic compounds have recently received great attention in diverse environmental phases, including water, atmosphere, soil and sediment. Considering polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fibers were validated for the wide application in the determination of partition behavior in passive sampling, in this work, several in silico models were established to predict PDMS-water (K_PDMS-w), PDMS-air (K_PDMS-a) and PDMS-seawater partition coefficients (K_PDMS-sw) of diverse chemicals. This is an attempt to combine conventional linear method and popular nonlinear algorithm for the estimation of partition coefficients between PDMS and different environmental media. All of the developed models showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit with high adjusted correlation coefficient (R²_adj) and were validated to be robust, stable and predictable by various internal and external validation techniques, deriving a wide series of statistical checks. Moreover, it was found that hydrophobicity, polarizability, charge distribution and molecular size of compounds contributed significantly to the model development by interpreting the selected descriptors. Based on the broad applicability domains (ADs), the current study provides suitable tools to fill the experimental data gap for other compounds and to help researchers better understand the mechanistic basis of adsorption behavior of PDMS.

Prediction of polydimethylsiloxane-water partition coefficients based on the pp-LFER and QSAR models

Obtaining accurate measurements of the partition coefficients between sorbent materials and water is of major importance for the analysis of the adsorption behavior and dissolved concentrations of organic compounds in the environment. In the passive-sampling approach, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has a wide range of applications. Therefore, we established a poly-parameter linear-free energy relationship (pp-LFER) and a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model to predict the log K_PDMS-w values for a large dataset of 290 organic chemicals from 11 diverse classes. For the pp-LFER model, E (excess molar refractivity), A (molecular H-bond donor ability), V (McGowan volume), and B (the H-bond acceptor properties) were introduced as the main correlated variables. However, the obtained model is much limited in terms of acquiring available descriptors. For this reason, we developed a QSAR model, and CrippenLogP (Crippen octanol-water partition coefficient), RNCG (Relative negative charge-most negative charge/total negative charge), ATSC4e (Centered Broto-Moreau autocorrelation-lag4/weighted by Sanderson electronegativities) and GATS6p (Geary autocorrelation-lag6/weighted by polarizabilities) were selected as the significant parameters. The predictive power and functional reliability of the presented models were confirmed with validation methods as described in previous studies. The adjusted determination coefficients (R²_adj) of 0.851 and 0.922 and leave-one-out cross-validated (Q²_LOO) of 0.841 and 0.907 revealed that the models have good predictive power and generalizability. Thus, the proposed models are simple yet accurate tools for predicting the log K_PDMS-w values and providing new insights to further understand the adsorption mechanism of organic compounds.

Determination of the partition coefficient between dissolved organic carbon and seawater using differential equilibrium kinetics

Because the freely dissolved fraction of highly hydrophobic organic chemicals is bioavailable, knowing the partition coefficient between dissolved organic carbon and water (K_DOCw) is crucial to estimate the freely dissolved fraction from the total concentration. A kinetic method was developed to obtain K_DOCw that required a shorter experimental time than equilibrium methods. The equilibrium partition coefficients of four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB 28), 2,2',3,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 44), 2,2',4,5,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 101), and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153)) between dissolved organic carbon and seawater (K_DOCsw) were determined using seawater samples from the Korean coast. The log K_DOCsw values of PCB 28 were measured by equilibrating PCB 28, the least hydrophobic congener, with seawater samples, and the values ranged from 6.60 to 7.20. For the more hydrophobic PCBs (PCB 44, PCB 101, and PCB 153), kinetic experiments were conducted to determine the sorption rate constants (k₂) and their log K_DOCsw values were obtained by comparing their k₂ with that of PCB 28. The calculated log K_DOCsw values were 6.57-7.35 for PCB 44, 6.23-7.44 for PCB 101, and 6.35-7.73 for PCB 153. The validity of the proposed method was further confirmed using three less hydrophobic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This kinetic method shortened the experimental time to obtain the K_DOCsw values of the more hydrophobic PCBs, which did not reach phase equilibrium.

Measuring freely dissolved DDT and metabolites in seawater using solid-phase microextraction with performance reference compounds

The coupling of disposable solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with performance reference compounds (PRCs) has been recently introduced to measure time-averaged freely dissolved concentrations (C_free) of hydrophobic organic contaminants in sediments under laboratory conditions. To explore the use of PRC-SPME for in situ sampling in seawater, disposable PDMS fibers (35-μm and 100-μm coating) preloaded with stable isotope labeled analogues as PRCs were deployed at six stations (each with three depths) in the open ocean of the Palos Verdes Shelf (CA, USA) Superfund site for 33d to measure C_free of DDT and its degradates. The observed values of fractional equilibration (f_eq) of PRCs were mostly <0.85, suggesting nonequilibrium conditions at the end of deployment. The observed f_eqs for the samplers varied with compound, sampling station and depth, validating the need for calibration to derive accurate C_free. The C_free values of DDE and DDD determined with PRC-SPME were in good agreement with those previously measured by in situ large-volume water sampling or polyethylene devices. The highest C_free in seawater 5m off the ocean floor was 750pgL^-1 for o,p'-DDE, 2170pgL^-1 for p,p'-DDE, 24pgL^-1 for o,p'-DDD, and 75pgL^-1 for p,p'-DDD. Results of this study demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of using disposable PDMS fiber coupled with PRCs for in situ sampling.

Review of the partitioning of chemicals into different plastics: Consequences for the risk assessment of marine plastic debris

Marine plastic debris are found worldwide in oceans and coastal areas. They degrade only slowly and contain chemicals added during manufacture or absorbed from the seawater. Therefore, they can pose a long-lasting contaminant source and potentially transfer chemicals to marine organisms when ingested. In order to assess their risk, the contaminant concentration in the plastics needs to be estimated and differences understood. We collected from literature plastic water partition coefficients of various organic chemicals for seven plastic types: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), high-density, low-density and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, UHMWPE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Most data was available for PDMS (1060) and LDPE (220), but much less for the remaining plastics (73). Where possible, regression models were developed and the partitioning was compared between the different plastic types. The partitioning of chemicals follows the order of LDPE≈HDPE≥PP>PVC≈PS. Data describing the impact of weathering are urgently needed.

Passive sampling methods for contaminated sediments: state of the science for organic contaminants

This manuscript surveys the literature on passive sampler methods (PSMs) used in contaminated sediments to assess the chemical activity of organic contaminants. The chemical activity in turn dictates the reactivity and bioavailability of contaminants in sediment. Approaches to measure specific binding of compounds to sediment components, for example, amorphous carbon or specific types of reduced carbon, and the associated partition coefficients are difficult to determine, particularly for native sediment. Thus, the development of PSMs that represent the chemical activity of complex compound-sediment interactions, expressed as the freely dissolved contaminant concentration in porewater (Cfree ), offer a better proxy for endpoints of concern, such as reactivity, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Passive sampling methods have estimated Cfree using both kinetic and equilibrium operating modes and used various polymers as the sorbing phase, for example, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene, and polyoxymethylene in various configurations, such as sheets, coated fibers, or vials containing thin films. These PSMs have been applied in laboratory exposures and field deployments covering a variety of spatial and temporal scales. A wide range of calibration conditions exist in the literature to estimate Cfree , but consensus values have not been established. The most critical criteria are the partition coefficient between water and the polymer phase and the equilibrium status of the sampler. In addition, the PSM must not appreciably deplete Cfree in the porewater. Some of the future challenges include establishing a standard approach for PSM measurements, correcting for nonequilibrium conditions, establishing guidance for selection and implementation of PSMs, and translating and applying data collected by PSMs.

Performance of passive samplers for monitoring estuarine water column concentrations: 1. Contaminants of concern

Contaminants enter marine and estuarine environments and pose a risk to human and ecological health. Recently, passive sampling devices have been utilized to estimate dissolved concentrations of contaminants of concern (COCs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the present study, the performance of 3 common passive samplers was evaluated for sampling PAHs and PCBs at several stations in the temperate estuary Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Sampler polymers included polyethylene (PE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers, and polyoxymethylene (POM). Dissolved concentrations of each contaminant were calculated using measured sampler concentrations adjusted for equilibrium conditions with performance reference compounds (PRCs) and chemical-specific partition coefficients derived in the laboratory. Despite differences in PE and POM sampler concentrations, calculated total dissolved concentrations ranged from 14 ng/L to 93 ng/L and from 13 pg/L to 465 pg/L for PAHs and PCBs, respectively. Dissolved concentrations of PAHs were approximately 3 times greater based on POM compared to PE, while dissolved concentrations of PCBs based on PE were approximately 3 times greater than those based on POM. Concentrations in SPME were not reported due to the lack of detectable chemical in the amount of PDMS polymer deployed. Continued research is needed to improve and support PE and POM use for the routine monitoring of COCs. For example, a better understanding of the use of PRCs with POM is critically needed.

Assessing bioavailability of DDT and metabolites in marine sediments using solid-phase microextraction with performance reference compounds

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has often been used to estimate the freely dissolved concentration (Cfree ) of organic contaminants in sediments. A significant limitation in the application of SPME for Cfree measurement is the requirement for attaining equilibrium partition, which is often difficult for strongly hydrophobic compounds such as DDT. A method was developed using SPME with stable isotope-labeled analogues as performance reference compounds (PRCs) to measure Cfree of DDT and metabolites (DDTs) in marine sediments. Six (13) C-labeled or deuterated PRCs were impregnated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber before use. Desorption of PRCs from PDMS fibers and absorption of DDTs from sediment were isotropic in a range of sediments evaluated ex situ under well-mixed conditions. When applied to a historically contaminated marine sediment from a Superfund site, the PRC-SPME method yielded Cfree values identical to those found by using a conventional equilibrium SPME approach (Eq-SPME), whereas the time for mixing was reduced from 9 d to only 9 h. The PRC-SPME method was further evaluated against bioaccumulation of DDTs by Neanthes arenaceodentata in the contaminated sediment with or without amendment of activated carbon or sand. Strong correlations were consistently found between the derived equilibrium concentrations on the fiber and lipid-normalized tissue residues for DDTs in the worms. Results from the present study clearly demonstrated the feasibility of coupling PRCs with SPME sampling to greatly shorten sampling time, thus affording much improved flexibility in the use of SPME for bioavailability evaluation.

Simultaneous estimation of glass-water distribution and PDMS-water partition coefficients of hydrophobic organic compounds using simple batch method

A simple batch method by use of refilling and nonrefilling experimental procedures and headspace solid phase microextraction was applied to simultaneously obtain the glass-water distribution coefficients (K(GW)) and polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)-water partition coefficients (K(PW)) of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). The simple batch method takes into consideration the glass-surface bound HOCs and the corresponding equilibrium distribution of HOCs among the glass, water, headspace, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The K(PW) and K(GW) values of 53 PCB congeners were determined. The glass-bound fraction predominated over other fractions for highly chlorinated PCBs. Ignoring glass adsorption and assuming a complete mass balance could thus substantially underestimate the K(PW) for HOCs in traditional work. Good linear correlations of logα (the overall mass transfer rate constant) vs logK(PW), logK(PW) vs logK(OW), and logK(GW) vs logK(OW) were observed, with logα = -0.91 logK(PW) + 1.13, R(2) = 0.93; logK(PW) = 1.032 logK(OW) - 0.493, R(2) = 0.947; and logK(GW) = 0.93 logK(OW) - 2.30, R(2) = 0.90. The K(PW) values from this study were compared with those in the literature. With an account of the glass adsorption, the accuracy of the K(PW) determination and the estimation of the dissolved concentration in water for highly hydrophobic compounds can be significantly improved.

Novel polymer monolith microextraction using a poly-(methyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith and its application to the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in water samples

A novel and simple method based on polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) coupled to gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD) was developed for the determination of six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residues in water samples. The proposed method used poly-(methyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (MMA-co-EDMA) monolith as extraction media. Several factors affecting experiments such as sample flow rate, sample volume, the type of eluent, eluent volume, eluent flow rate, effect of salt addition and carry over effect were investigated and optimized systematically. The limits of detection (LODs) for six PCBs were 0.028-0.043 ng mL(-1) in water samples. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) were less than 9.2% and 9.6%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of six PCBs in tap water, lake water and industrial waste water and the trueness has been evaluated by recovery experiments. The obtained relative recoveries were in the range of 63.3-105.6%.

Limitations of reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) for evaluating toxicity of field contaminated sediments

Passive samplers are used to measure dissolved nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) in environmental media. More recently, reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) have been used with spiked sediments to recreate interstitial water exposure concentrations and observed toxicity. In the present study, RePES were used with field contaminated sediments. The RePES was not capable of recreating the pattern of toxicity with the amphipod and mysid observed with intact field sediments. Decreased survival in the RePES exposures as compared to the whole sediment exposures was most likely caused by an overexposure to NOCs due to a lack of surrogate black carbon in the RePES system. As an alternative, aqueous phase studies were performed in which polyethylene was allowed to equilibrate with slurries of intact sediments for 3 weeks. Three weeks was found to be an insufficient amount of time for the polyethylene to equilibrate with the sediment. An additional study demonstrated 3 months was sufficient for lower contaminant concentrations, but might not be an adequate amount of time for more highly contaminated sediments. The aqueous phase transfer approach may be useful if equilibration is sufficiently long, although this length of time may be impractical for use in certain applications, such as toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs).

Assessment of PDMS-water partition coefficients: implications for passive environmental sampling of hydrophobic organic compounds

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has shown potential as an in situ passive-sampling technique in aquatic environments. The reliability of this method depends upon accurate determination of the partition coefficient between the fiber coating and water (K(f)). For some hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs), K(f) values spanning 4 orders of magnitude have been reported for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and water. However, 24% of the published data examined in this review did not pass the criterion for negligible depletion, resulting in questionable K(f) values. The range in reported K(f) is reduced to just over 2 orders of magnitude for some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) when these questionable values are removed. Other factors that could account for the range in reported K(f), such as fiber-coating thickness and fiber manufacturer, were evaluated and found to be insignificant. In addition to accurate measurement of K(f), an understanding of the impact of environmental variables, such as temperature and ionic strength, on partitioning is essential for application of laboratory-measured K(f) values to field samples. To date, few studies have measured K(f) for HOCs at conditions other than at 20° or 25 °C in distilled water. The available data indicate measurable variations in K(f) at different temperatures and different ionic strengths. Therefore, if the appropriate environmental variables are not taken into account, significant error will be introduced into calculated aqueous concentrations using this passive sampling technique. A multiparameter linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) was developed to estimate log K(f) in distilled water at 25 °C based on published physicochemical parameters. This method provided a good correlation (R(2) = 0.94) between measured and predicted log K(f) values for several compound classes. Thus, an LSER approach may offer a reliable means of predicting log K(f) for HOCs whose experimental log K(f) values are presently unavailable. Future research should focus on understanding the impact of environmental variables on K(f). Obtaining the data needed for an LSER approach to estimate K(f) for all environmentally relevant HOCs would be beneficial to the application of SPME as a passive-sampling technique.

Possibilities and limitations of equilibrium sampling using polydimethylsiloxane in fish tissue

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been used for passive equilibrium sampling in numerous abiotic environmental matrices. Recently, this approach was extended to lipid-rich tissue. This work investigated the possibilities and limitations of using PDMS thin-film extraction for in tissue equilibrium sampling in fish species of varying lipid content. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used as model lipophilic organic pollutants. PDMS thin-films were inserted in intact fish tissue for differing time periods (1h up to 1 week). The thin-films were then solvent-extracted and the extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Whether equilibrium had been established was investigated either by using PDMS thin-films of multiple thicknesses (140-620 microm) or by assessing kinetics by means of time series. Equilibration was found to be rapid (i.e. in the range of hours) in lipid-rich fish whereas equilibrium was not achieved within one week in tissues with low or medium lipid content (i.e. up to 2% lipids). Regarding lipid-rich fish, the newly developed method was found to be sufficiently sensitive to determine equilibrium partitioning concentrations of PCBs in lipids of samples from the Baltic Sea, and it is a promising approach for any kind of fatty tissue.

An aniline-based fiber coating for solid phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A fiber coating from polyaniline (PANI) was electrochemically prepared and employed for solid phase microextraction (SPME) of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water samples. The PANI film was directly electrodeposited on the platinum wire surface in sulfuric acid solution using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The applicability of this coating was assessed employing a laboratory-made SPME device and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the extraction of some PAHs from the headspace of aqueous samples. Application of wider potential range in CV led to a PANI with more stability against the temperature. The homogeneity and the porous surface structure of the film were examined by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study revealed that this polymer is a suitable SPME fiber coating for extracting the selected PAHs. Important parameters influencing the extraction process were optimized and an extraction time of 40 min at 40 degrees C gave maximum peak area, when the aqueous sample was added with NaCl (20%, w/v). The synthesis of the PANI can be carried out conveniently and in a reproducible manner while it is rather inexpensive and stable against most of organic solvents. The film thickness of PANI can be precisely controlled by the number of CV cycles. The resulting thickness was roughly 20 microm after 20 cycles. At the optimum conditions, the relative standard deviation (RSD) for a double distilled water spiked with selected PAHs at ppb level were 8.80-16.8% (n = 3) and detection limits for the studied compounds were between 0.1-6 pg mL(-1). The performance of PANI was, also, compared with a commercial solid coated-based SPME fiber, carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB), under similar experimental conditions.

Determination of poly(dimethyl)siloxane–water partition coefficients for selected hydrophobic organic chemicals using 14C-labeled analogs

Aqueous solutions of (14)C-labeled analogs of seven hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) were subject to solid-phase microextraction (SPME) under static conditions to assess their multi-compartment distribution and to compare poly(dimethyl)siloxane (PDMS)-water partition coefficients (K(f) values) with previously reported values. To accomplish this, a protocol for quantitative desorption of radiolabelled HOCs from SPME fibers using hexane was developed. Time series extractions indicated that loading of SPME fibers had reached steady-state by day 8 for PCBs 52, 77 and 153, phenanthrene, benzo[a]pyrene, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE. The recovery of spiked radioactivity among the (residual) aqueous phase, the PDMS coating, and all remaining wetted experimental surfaces ranged between 80 and 120%. K(f) values based on (14)C-labeled analogs were in good agreement with previously published values that were determined at (or closely approaching) equilibrium conditions and without significant chemical depletion and/or uncorrected system losses. Because it allows for the direct determination of HOCs associated with the residual aqueous and experimental surface compartments, the use of radiolabelled HOC analogs is a powerful tool in discriminating among competing sorptive compartments encountered in most SPME fiber calibration methodologies employed to date.

Current trends in solid-phase-based extraction techniques for the determination of pesticides in food and environment

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures for pesticide residues in food and environment are reviewed and discussed. The use of these procedures, which include several approaches such as: matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), represents an opportunity to reduce analysis time, solvent consumption, and overall cost. SPE techniques differ from solvent extraction depending on the interactions between a sorbent and the pesticide. This interaction may be specific for a particular pesticide, as in the interaction with an immunosorbent, or non-specific, as in the way a number of different pesticides are adsorbed on apolar or polar materials. A variety of applications were classified according to the method applied: conventional SPE, SPME, hollow-fiber micro-extraction (HFME), MSPD and SBSE. Emphasis is placed on the multiresidue analysis of liquid and solid samples.

New approach based on solid-phase microextraction to estimate polydimethylsiloxane fibre coating–water distribution coefficients for brominated flame retardants

A depletion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method based on multiple SPME extraction was applied to estimate fibre coating-water distribution constants (Kfs) of brominated flame retardants. Several polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) including compounds present in the commercial mixture "Pentamix", and two polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were considered as target analytes. One hundred-micrometer poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating fibre was selected to estimate partition coefficients. SPME kinetics studies at 25 and 100 degrees C were performed. Kfs values obtained at both temperatures for brominated flame retardants were compared with the corresponding octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) values found in literature. A linear log-log relationship between Kow with Kfs was found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study where brominated flame retardants Kfs values are estimated.

Application of a static solid-phase microextraction procedure combined with liquid–liquid extraction to determine poly(dimethyl)siloxane–water partition coefficients for selected polychlorinated biphenyls

A static solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure combined with liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was used to determine the poly(dimethyl)siloxane (PDMS)-water partition coefficients (K(f)) for selected polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs), including PCB 1, 15, 28, 47, 101, 153, 180, 202, 206, and 209. The accuracy for the measurements of analyte concentrations in the aqueous phase was ensured with a one-to-one recovery correction strategy employing one 13C-labeled PCB congener as a surrogate standard for each unlabeled PCB counterpart. The effects of coating thickness (7, 30, and 100 microm) and sample volume (130 mL and 2 L) on the K(f) values were examined experimentally and confirmed with paired t-tests. Significant dependence of K(f) values on coating thickness was found for a few heavily chlorinated congeners only, and was tentatively attributed to the use of the inaccurate effective coating volumes and the structural variation with these PDMS coatings. In addition, no significant differences in the log K(f) values of all analytes except for PCB 206 were found between the sample sizes of 130 mL and 2 L for both the 7- and 100-microm coatings. Overall, K(f) values obtained with 2-L sample containers were consistently higher than those reported in the literature, which is attributable to the selection of appropriate equilibrium times for SPME and direct measurements of aqueous analyte concentrations with LLE in the present study.

Development of quantitative structure gas chromatographic relative retention time models on seven stationary phases for 209 polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners

Quantitative structure retention relationships (QSRRs) were developed to predict the gas chromatographic (GC) relative retention times (RRTs) for 209 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners using the heuristic method included in the computer software Comprehensive Descriptors for Structural and Statistical Analysis (CODESSA). A total of 445 constitutional, topological, geometrical, electrostatic, and semi-empirical quantum chemical descriptors were derived for all PBDEs. Using experimental RRT data for 126 PBDE congeners from the literature, predictive regression models were built for seven individual GC capillary columns differing in stationary phases. Each model includes four descriptors which included Wiener index, Randic index, polarity parameter, etc., selected by CODESSA. High predictability was obtained. High multiple correlation coefficients R(2) indicated that >98.5% (except for stationary phase CP-Sil 19) of the total variation in the predicted RRTs is explained by the fitted models. The models were subsequently used to predict the RRTs of the remaining 83 PBDE congeners on seven different stationary phases. The statistical results show that, compared with others, DB-XLB column not only produces the least number of peak overlaps but also results in shorter retention times.