Established active air sampling methodologies for regulated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are not suitable and thereby not directly applicable for target and suspect/non-target analyses (NTS) of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs). Many CECs are less persistent than POPs and the commonly used sample preparation methods applied for POPs can therefore not be used. This results in interfering matrix in the final extracts that reduce the analytical method sensitivity considerably (up to several orders of magnitude). It has also been shown that the established air sampling and sample preparation methods result in significant (but inconsistent) contamination of CECs during sampling and analytical steps. These issues together are ground for the incentive of new and cleaner air sampling adsorbent that would require less and different sample preparation methods.
NILU will in this project test a selection of new adsorbents for sampling capacity of CECs and for applicability for NTS analyses in three parts. The tests will include breakthrough and repeatability tests as well as comparison to established methods and among the new adsorbents. This will be done by a combination of field measurements and method validation in the laboratory. The CECs aimed for are chlorinated paraffins, organophosphorous flame retardants (OPFRs), and other compounds of emerging concern.