Chemcatcher®
A passive sampler for monitoring water quality
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Chemcatcher •
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a cost effective passive sampler
Monitoring the concentration of a wide range of substances in water is a statutory requirement
across Europe and in most other countries.
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The Chemcatcher® was developed at the University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
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It comprises a low-cost, three component, watertight body manufactured from PTFE into which an
appropriate 47 mm receiving phase disk is inserted.
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Normally, the disk is covered with a thin 47 mm diffusion limiting membrane (e.g. low-density
polyethylene, polyethersulphone or cellulose acetate) depending on the application of the device.
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Various types of receiving phase material can be used with the Chemcatcher® depending on the
properties of pollutants being measured, examples include 3M Empore™ disks with differing
chemistries (e.g. C8, C18, styrene-divinylbenzene, anion-exchange and chelating) and the Horizon
Atlantic™ range of immobilised solid-phase extraction materials.
Most monitoring programmes involve the periodic collection of low volume spot (bottle or grab)
samples of water that are analysed subsequently in the laboratory.
Often the effectiveness of monitoring of pollutants using this approach is challenging,
particularly where concentrations fluctuate over time and when chemicals are present at only
trace, yet toxicologically significant, levels.
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One solution to help to address this problem is the use of passive samplers.
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Devices can be deployed in the environment for extended periods of time (from days to months)
where they continually sequester compounds and can lower limits of detection.
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The sampler sequesters the pollutants of interest and these are retained on the receiving phase disk.
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Their use also enables the detection of pollutants that are present only episodically.
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A range of different passive samplers is available both commercially and as research tools.
After retrieval from the environment pollutants are eluted from the disk and analysed in the laboratory
using conventional instrumental methods (e.g. GC/MS or LC/MS).
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These samplers can be used in wide range of environments, ranging from potable, surface, coastal
and marine waters.
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These include the SPMD, low-density polyethylene and silicone rubber membranes, DGT, polar
POCIS and Chemcatcher®.
The many “faces” of the
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Chemcatcher
The original design concept of the Chemcatcher® was to develop an easy to use sampler applicable for monitoring a wide range of pollutant classes by altering the
combination of receiving phase and diffusion limiting membrane used. The early applications of the device were to measure time-weighted average concentrations
of non-polar organic compounds (e.g. PAHs, PCBs and specific pesticides) and heavy metals (e.g. cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc). Subsequently, a number
of new application areas have emerged.
For more detailed information or advice, please contact us at:
The Chemcatcher team
Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road
Portsmouth PO1 3QL
Phone: 0044 (0)2392842292
Mobile: 0044 (0)7501430580
E-mail: [email protected]
www.port.ac.uk/research/chemcatcher
@chemcatcher
www.facebook.com/chemcatcher