Polyethylene (PE) passive samplers are commonly used to detect concentration of trace hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in air and water. They passively accumulate HOCs via diffusion, and the concentrations obtained represent average levels of these contaminants over time. PEs are cost-effective and easy to deploy, enabling us to achieve long-term and high-resolution environmental monitoring. The PE matrix mainly selects for the freely gaseous and dissolved phase, which are important fractions to measure due to their freely bioavailable for uptake via processes such as dermal absorption, and their availability for diffusive exchange at the air-water interface and sediment-water interface. The usage of PE passive samplers to detect legacy PCBs, OCPs and emerging OPEs in the Great Lakes and remote Arctic Ocean will be presented in this speech.
 

PE,Passive Sampling,contaminants