SEMIPERMEABLE-MEMBRANE DEVICES AS PASSIVE SAMPLERS TO DETERMINE ORGANOCHLORINE POLLUTANTS IN COMPOST

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) are polymeric membranes enclosi ng a thin film (1 mL) of a synthetic lipid. Herein, SPMDs are used to sample bioavailable persistent organochlorine contaminants, viz. PCBs, DDTs, chlordanes, lindane, chlorobenzenes, and dieldrin, in composts. The study comprises three different indoor household composts and one fortified compost. The contaminant levels in the composts range betwe en 0.2 and 444 ng/g of dry weight. SPMDs were applied inside the compo st (S/solid) and above the surface inside a closed container(S/air). A fter a sampling time of 28 days, the amount of PCBs accumulated from t he natural household composts were 440-11000 and 72-470 ng/SPMD for S/ solid and S/air, respectively. The concentration of the pesticides ran ged between 4 and 300 ng/SPMD far both sample types. The amount accumu lated in the S/solid correlates with the results obtained in a traditi onal compost analysis. Furthermore, the S/air analysis reveals the fug itive properties of the technical mixtures and individual congeners, e vaporating from the compost surfaces. Thus, the SPMDs provide a simple and efficient way to sample, and clean up, pollutants in compost, as well as substances evaporating from the soil surface. The SPMD methodo logy will he a useful tool, although of semiquantitative character, fo r soil and solid surface monitoring studies and for studies aiming at the fate of organochlorine contaminants.