A Simplified Method for Sampling and Analysis of High Volume Surface Water for Organic Contaminants Using XAD-2

Abstract

A simple compressed-gas driven system for field processing and extracting water for subsequent analyses of hydrophobic organic compounds is presented. The pumping device is a pneumatically driven pump and filtration system that can easily clarify at 4 L/min. The extraction device uses compressed gas to drive filtered water through two parallel XAD-2 resin columns, at about 200 mL/min. No batteries or inverters are required for water collection or processing. Solvent extractions were performed directly in the XAD-2 glass columns. Final extracts are cleaned-up on Florisil cartridges without fractionation and contaminants analyzed by GC-MS. Method detection limits (MDLs) and recoveries for dissolved organic contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides are reported along with results of surface water analysis for the San Francisco Bay, CA.

Keywords:

• High volume water sampling
• XAD
• Organic contaminants
• Field sampling

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Rodelia Busalpa and Roderick Busalpa for their assistance in data compilation and graphing. We also appreciate the assistance of Daret Kehlet and Bill Sluis for constructing holding attachments for the field equipment, and for creating the figure of the sampling equipment.

This research was funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency through Grant No. R826940.