In situ calibration of a new Chemcatcher configuration for the determination of polar organic micropollutants in wastewater effluent

Passive sampling is proposed as an alternative to traditional grab- and composite-sampling modes. Investigated here is a novel passive sampler configuration, the Chemcatcher containing an Atlantic HLB disk covered by a 0.2 μm poly(ether sulfone) membrane, for monitoring polar organic micropollutants (personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and illicit drugs) in wastewater effluent. In situ calibration showed linear uptake for the majority of detected micropollutants over 9 days of deployment. Sampling rates (RS) were determined for 59 compounds and were generally in the range of 0.01–0.10 L day–1. The Chemcatcher was also suitable for collecting chiral micropollutants and maintaining their enantiomeric distribution during deployment. This is essential for their future use in developing more accurate environmental risk assessments at the enantiomeric level. Application of calibration data in a subsequent monitoring study showed that the concentration estimated for 92% of micropollutants was within a factor of 2 of the known concentration. However, their application in a legislative context will require further understanding of the properties and mechanisms controlling micropollutant uptake to improve the accuracy of reported concentrations.