Field application of a novel active-passive sampling technique for the simultaneous measurement of a wide range of contaminants in water

A first test of the field capabilities of a novel in situ sampling technique combining active and passive sampling (APS) was conducted in the sea. The proof-of-concept device uses a pump to draw water into a diffusion cell where dissolved target substances are accumulated onto sorbents which are selective for different classes of contaminants (i.e., metal cations, polar and non-polar organic compounds), simultaneously. A controlled laminar flow established in the diffusion cell enables measurements of contaminant concentrations that are fully independent from the hydrodynamic conditions in the bulk solution. APS measurements were consistent with those obtained using conventional passive sampling techniques such as organic diffusive gradients in thin films (o-DGT) and silicone rubber (SR) samplers (generally