Passive samplers
Passive sampling is an efficient and cost-effective way of
measuring contaminants in the environment, over a measured period
of time and with limited labour.
Samplers are usually continuously submerged beneath the sea's
surface for three to six weeks at a time. Our samplers can
simply be left in the water column to take up contaminants, and are
an option for both composite or multiple sampling.
A key benefit of passive samplers is the ability to give a
time-integrated measure of contamination, and in this sense to
"mimic" absorbtion by surrounding organisms. The concentration
of chemicals that the sampler is exposed to over time will
correspond to that which an organism in the same area has been
exposed to.This means that peaks in concentration (which can occur
in sample areas close to a discharge site or after an unusual
contamination event) are neither missed nor reported falsely.
Passive samplers are commonly used to detect a range of chemical
contaminants (such PAH, PCB, alkylphenols, etc) and metals. The
sampled contaminants are processed and analysed by our chemistry
teams, and extracts can be tested in bioassays to determine
toxicity.
If you would like to know more about passive samplers, and how
we can deploy them to help you, please contact us.