Comparison of PoraPak Rxn RP and XAD-2 adsorbents for monitoring dissolved hydrophobic organic contaminants

Environ Monit Assess. 2014 Nov;186(11):7565-77. doi: 10.1007/s10661-014-3948-6. Epub 2014 Aug 7.

Abstract

Accurate determination of the levels of dissolved hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) is an important step in estimating the dynamics of their inputs and losses in aqueous systems. This study explores an alternative method for efficiently sampling dissolved HOCs while mitigating a number of sampling artifacts associated with traditional methods. The adsorption characteristics of a new polymeric resin, PoraPak Rxn RP (PPR), were assessed using sorption isotherm experiments and fixed bed adsorption studies. The adsorption capacities and breakthrough times for four model contaminants (phenol, p-nitrophenol, naphthalene, and 2,4,6-tribromophenol) were proportional to the contaminant's hydrophobicity. The ability of PPR to isolate dissolved polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in real samples was compared with that of XAD-2, a well-known macroporous polymer that suffers from high background contamination. The results indicated that the PPR resin can be effectively used for monitoring HOCs, with low ∑PCB levels in blanks, decreasing solvent use, and reducing extraction times.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls / analysis
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry
  • Resins, Synthetic / chemistry*

Substances

  • Polystyrenes
  • PoraPak Rxn RP
  • Resins, Synthetic
  • Amberlite XAD-2 resin
  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls