Review of passive accumulation devices for monitoring organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment

Over the past 15 years passive sampling devices have been developed that accumulate organic micropollutants and allow detection at ambient sub ng/l concentrations. Most passive accumulation devices (PADs) are designed for 1–4 weeks field deployment, where uptake is governed by linear first order kinetics providing a time weighted average of the exposure concentration. Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) are the most comprehensively studied PADs, but other samplers may also be considered for aquatic monitoring purposes. The applicability of the PADs is reviewed with respect to commonly monitored aqueous matrices and compounds, the detection limits, and for use in quantitative monitoring related to requirements embedded in the EU Water Framework Directive, the US and EU Water Quality Criteria, and the Danish monitoring aquatic programme. The PADs may monitor >75% of the organic micropollutants of the programmes. Research is warranted regarding the uptake in PADs in low flow environments and for the development of samplers for polar organic compounds.