REF2014 Impact Case Study: The Chemcatcher - an approved passive sampler for monitoring water quality
Impact: Public Policy Impacts, Health & Welfare Impacts, Environmental Impacts
Description of impact
The development and marketing of the Chemcatcher passive sampler has significantly improved the way water quality is monitored. We have contributed to the development of national and international standards for the use of passive samplers, and the dissemination of results to end users has facilitated the uptake of passive sampling technology worldwide. Our passive samplers have been used to monitor a diverse range of environmental problems, from pharmaceuticals in drinking water to the release of radioactive caesium after the Fukushima nuclear reactor incident in Japan.
Who is affected
End-users within the environmental monitoring community, environment agencies and water companies.
Narrative
Most established methods of monitoring pollutants in water are based on taking grab or spot samples. This approach does not provide a representative sample of the overall water quality required by regulation or risk assessment. Passive sampling can provide a more effective and representative method of collecting data. Passive sampling can provide time-weighted average concentrations of pollutants over periods of two to four weeks of deployment and can capture pollutants that are only present episodically.
EU funding allowed the development of a robust, reusable sampler that could be used with all classes of pollutants and was designed to be compatible with existing laboratory analytical techniques. The devise was called Chemcatcher and the design was patented in the UK and USA.
Environmental agencies in the UK and in Europe adopted Chemcatcher for their water sampling and as a result of the Chemcatcher trails, EU documentation supporting the Water Framework Directive recommended passive sampling as an acceptable monitoring method. This recognition resulted in countries such as Japan and Australia adopting the Chemcatcher.
EU funding allowed the development of a robust, reusable sampler that could be used with all classes of pollutants and was designed to be compatible with existing laboratory analytical techniques. The devise was called Chemcatcher and the design was patented in the UK and USA.
Environmental agencies in the UK and in Europe adopted Chemcatcher for their water sampling and as a result of the Chemcatcher trails, EU documentation supporting the Water Framework Directive recommended passive sampling as an acceptable monitoring method. This recognition resulted in countries such as Japan and Australia adopting the Chemcatcher.
Category of impact
- Public Policy Impacts
- Health & Welfare Impacts
- Environmental Impacts
Documents
The Chemcatcher - an approved passive sampler for monitoring water quality
168 KB, PDF document
Related information
Outputs
Development of a novel passive sampling system for the time-averaged measurement of a range of organic pollutants in aquatic environments
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Performance optimisation of a passive sampler for monitoring hydrophobic organic pollutants in water
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Calibration of the Chemcatcher passive sampler for the monitoring of priority organic pollutants in water
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Modelling and field application of the Chemcatcher passive sampler calibration data for the monitoring of hydrophobic organic pollutants in water
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Effect of housing geometry on the performance of Chemcatcher (TM) passive sampler for the monitoring of hydrophobic organic pollutants in water
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Field performance of seven passive sampling devices for monitoring of hydrophobic substances
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
The Elephant Cage Stage 1: Video overview of event
Research output: Non-textual form › Artefact
ID: 1348600