Passive samplers can play a valuable role in monitoring water quality within a legislative framework such as the European Union's Water Framework Directive (WFD). The time-integrated data from these devices can be used to complement chemical monitoring of priority and emerging contaminants which are difficult to analyse by spot or bottle sampling methods, and to improve risk assessment of chemical pollution. In order to increase the acceptance of passive sampling technology amongst end users and to gain further information about the robustness of the calibration and analytical steps, several inter-laboratory field studies have recently been performed in Europe. Such trials are essential to further validate this sampling method and to increase the confidence of the technological approach for end users.^An inter-laboratory study on the use of passive samplers for the monitoring of emerging pollutants was organised in 2011 by the NORMAN association (Network of reference laboratories for monitoring emerging environmental pollutants; www.norman-network.net) together with the European DG Joint Research Centre to support the Common Implementation Strategy of the WFD. Thirty academic, commercial and regulatory laboratories participated in the passive sampler comparison exercise and each was allowed to select their own sampler design. All the different devices were exposed at a single sampling site to treated waste water from a large municipal treatment plant. In addition, the organisers deployed in parallel for each target analyte class multiple samplers of a single type which were subsequently distributed to the participants for analysis. This allowed an evaluation of the contribution of the different analytical laboratory procedures to the data variability.^The results obtained allow an evaluation of the potential of different passive sampling methods for monitoring selected emerging organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, polar pesticides, steroid hormones, fluorinated surfactants, triclosan, bisphenol A and brominated flame retardants). In most cases, between laboratory variation of results from passive samplers was roughly a factor 5 larger than within laboratory variability. Similar results obtained for different passive samplers analysed by individual laboratories and also low within laboratory variability of sampler analysis indicate that the passive sampling process is causing less variability than the analysis. This points at difficulties that laboratories experienced with analysis in complex environmental matrices. Where a direct comparison was possible (not in case of brominated flame retardants) analysis of composite water samples provided results that were within the concentration range obtained by passive samplers.^However, in the future a significant improvement of the overall precision of passive sampling is needed. The results will be used to inform EU Member States about the potential application of passive sampling methods for monitoring organic chemicals within the framework of the WFD.

Passive sampling is a popular technology for environmental monitoring, and silicone is an ideal choice for a variety of passive sampling applications. The silicone work described here encompasses laboratory and field studies that demonstrate the use of this polymer in novel environments, for new applications, and for emerging compounds. Unique attributes of silicone polymers make them advantageous for targeting semi-polar contaminants not typically targeted in environmental research. Oxygenated polycyclic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) represent an emerging class of contaminants with chemical properties well suited to silicone passive sampling. The first challenge was to create a robust OPAH analytical method to examine these compounds in silicone, and two independent methods (liquid as well as gas chromatography) were optimized and demonstrated for 24 ketone-containing aromatic hydrocarbons, more than other methods published at that time. An isotopically labeled OPAH was used as an internal standard in contrast to previous methods which used only labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The efficacy of each method was further demonstrated by comparing standard addition to internal standard quantitation. Next, OPAHs, PAHs and pesticides were used to compare several silicone materials with low density polyethylene (LDPE) at Portland Harbor Superfund field sites. Target analyte detection, precision, and practical considerations in the field and laboratory were used to evaluate silicone materials. Individual differences between LDPE and the most optimal silicone polymer for OPAHs highlighted the importance of using optimized methods or polymer choice for a particular analyte class. Biggest differences were found for 9-fluorenone, benzanthrone, and 5,12-naphtacenequinone. After this successful polymer comparison, the next study involved a novel application of silicone wristbands as personal passive samplers. Commercially available silicone was modified to serve as personal samplers and tested in both an ambient and occupational settings. Silicone wristbands provided a valuable tool to monitor individual exposures that were time weighted averages of personalized exposure. The ambient study captured 49 individual compounds including PAHs, personal and consumer products, pesticides, phthalates, and as well as other industrial compounds. In the occupational study, roofers working with hot asphalt wore silicone samplers and evidence of both temporal (day versus week deployment, p

Pollution Assessment for Sustainable Practices in Applied Sciences and Engineering provides an integrated reference for academics and professionals working on land, air, and water pollution. The protocols discussed and the extensive number of case studies help environmental engineers to quickly identify the correct process for projects under study. The book is divided into four parts; each of the first three covers a separate environment: Geosphere, Atmosphere, and Hydrosphere. The first part covers ground assessment, contamination, geo-statistics, remote sensing, GIS, risk assessment and management, and environmental impact assessment. The second part covers atmospheric assessment topics, including the dynamics of contaminant transport, impacts of global warming, indoor and outdoor techniques and practice. The third part is dedicated to the hydrosphere including both the marine and fresh water environments. Finally, part four examines emerging issues in pollution assessment, from nanomaterials to artificial intelligence. There are a wide variety of case studies in the book to help bridge the gap between concept and practice. Environmental Engineers will benefit from the integrated approach to pollution assessment across multiple spheres. Practicing engineers and students will also benefit from the case studies, which bring the practice side by side with fundamental concepts. Provides a comprehensive overview of pollution assessment Covers land, underground, water and air pollution Includes outdoor and indoor pollution assessment Presents case studies that help bridge the gap between concepts and practice

Monitoring pollutants in air, soil and water is a routine requirement in the workplace, and in the wider environment. Passive samplers can provide a representative picture of levels of pollutants over a period of time from days to months by measuring the average concentrations to which they have been exposed. Air monitors are widely used, for instance to measure the exposure of workers to volatile compounds, but also for monitoring the fate of pollutants in the atmosphere. Passive sampling devices are now becomining increasingly used to monitor pollutants in rivers, coastal waters and ground water where contamination results from sources such as domestic and industrial discharges, and the use of agrochemicals. Passive Sampling Techniques in Environmental Monitoring provides a timely collection of information on a set of techniques that help monitor the quality of air, surface and ground waters. Passive sampling can provide an inexpensive means of obtaining a representative picture of quality over a period of time, even where levels of pollutants fluctuate due to discontinuous discharges or seasonal application of chemicals such as pesticides. Recent changes in legislation have increased the pressure to obtain better information than that provided by classical infrequent spot sampling.Brought together in one source, this book looks at the performance of a range of devices for the passive sampling of metals, and of non-polar and polar organic chemicals in air and in water. The strengths and weaknesses and the range of applicability of the technology are considered. * Comprehensive review of passive sampling - covering air, water and majority of available technologies in one volume* Chapters written by international specialist experts * Covers theory and applications, providing background information and guidelines for use in the field

The volume contains the main papers presented at the 1994 EUROTOX Congress, Basel, Switzerland, August 21-24, 1994. Toxicology has become a less descriptive science because more importance has been placed on the mechanisms underlying toxic effects. This is reflected in symposia and workshops devoted to species differences in organ toxicity, receptor-mediated toxicity and stereochemical effects of xenobiotics. Recent progress in the fields of immunotoxicology, ecotoxicology, and neurotoxicology is highlighted and documented together with the present discussion on harmonized regulatory guidelines.

This book gathers together a wide range of contributions on modern techniques which are becoming widely used in statistics. These methods include the bootstrap, nonparametric density estimation, robust regression, and projections and sections.