Nanofiber Enabled, Multi - Target Passive Sampling Device for Determination of the Freely Dissolved Sediment Pore Water Concentrations of Organic Contaminants
Abstract
We used electrospinning to fabricate a suite of electrospun nanofiber mats (ENMs) and test their sorption capacities to a set of hydrophilic (aniline and nitrobenzene) and hydrophobic compounds (PCBs and Dioxin) to be used as next-generation multi-target passive samplers. The average diameter of the ENMs ranged from 70 (PET) to 1,000 (EVA) nm, with a relative standard deviation of less than 50 for each material. Our ENMs in water yielded a fast equilibration time (< 3 days) for our tested hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. The ENM-water partition coefficient (KENM-w) for the hydrophilic compounds ranged from 0.72 to 2.8 log units, with evidence suggesting uptake via partitioning into the bulk nanofiber (i.e. absorption) and specific binding interactions (e.g., H-bonding and Coulombic interactions) contributing to, and potentially controlling, hydrophilic uptake. The KENM-w for hydrophobic compounds ranged from 3.2 to 6.4 log units. Collectively, the rates and KENM-w measured for the best performing ENMs often exceeded partition coefficients achieved with commercially available passive sampling materials (e.g., low-density polyethylene and PDMS glass fiber), particularly for hydrophilic compounds. Overall, our results support our initial hypothesis that electrospun nanofiber mats represent next-generation passive sampling materials that can be easily modified to enhance compound selectivity, sorption capacities and improve field applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1022215
Entities
People
- Andres Martinez
- David M. Cwiertny
Organizations
- University of Iowa