Performance optimisation of a passive sampler for monitoring hydrophobic organic pollutants in water

The performance of an integrative passive sampler that consists of a C18 Empore disk sorbent receiving phase fitted with low density polyethylene membrane was optimised for the measurement of time-weighted average concentrations of hydrophobic micropollutants in water. A substantial improvement of sampling characteristics including the rate of sampling and the sampling precision was achieved by decreasing the internal sampler resistance to mass transfer of hydrophobic organic chemicals. This was achieved by adding a small volume of n-octanol, a solvent with high permeability (solubility x diffusivity) for target analytes, to the interstial space between the receiving sorbent phase and the polyethylene diffusion-limiting membrane.