PMID- 34733112 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20211105 IS - 1462-9011 (Print) IS - 1873-6416 (Electronic) IS - 1462-9011 (Linking) VI - 125 DP - 2021 Nov TI - Global intercomparison of polyurethane foam passive air samplers evaluating sources of variability in SVOC measurements. PG - 1-9 LID - 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.08.003 [doi] AB - Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) are the most common type of passive air sampler used for a range of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including regulated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and emerging contaminants (e.g., novel flame retardants, phthalates, current-use pesticides). Data from PUF-PAS are key indicators of effectiveness of global regulatory actions on SVOCs, such as the Global Monitoring Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. While most PUF-PAS use similar double-dome metal shielding, there is no standardized dome size, shape, or deployment configuration, with many different PUF-PAS designs used in regional and global monitoring. Yet, no information is available on the comparability of data from studies using different PUF-PAS designs. We brought together 12 types of PUF-PAS used by different research groups around the world and deployed them in a multi-part intercomparison to evaluate the variability in reported concentrations introduced by different elements of PAS monitoring. PUF-PAS were deployed for 3 months in outdoor air in Kjeller, Norway in 2015-2016 in three phases to capture (1) the influence of sampler design on data comparability, (2) the influence of analytical variability when samplers are analyzed at different laboratories, and (3) the overall variability in global monitoring data introduced by differences in sampler configurations and analytical methods. Results indicate that while differences in sampler design (in particular, the spacing between the upper and lower sampler bowls) account for up to 50 % differences in masses collected by samplers, the variability introduced by analysis in different laboratories far exceeds this amount, resulting in differences spanning orders of magnitude for POPs and PAHs. The high level of variability due to analysis in different laboratories indicates that current SVOC air sampling data (i.e., not just for PUF-PAS but likely also for active air sampling) are not directly comparable between laboratories/monitoring programs. To support on-going efforts to mobilize more SVOC data to contribute to effectiveness evaluation, intercalibration exercises to account for uncertainties in air sampling, repeated at regular intervals, must be established to ensure analytical comparability and avoid biases in global-scale assessments of SVOCs in air caused by differences in laboratory performance. CI - (c) 2021 The Authors. FAU - Melymuk, Lisa AU - Melymuk L AD - RECETOX, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. FAU - Nizzetto, Pernilla Bohlin AU - Nizzetto PB AD - NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway. FAU - Harner, Tom AU - Harner T AD - Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Canada. FAU - White, Kevin B AU - White KB AD - RECETOX, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. FAU - Wang, Xianyu AU - Wang X AD - Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Australia. FAU - Tominaga, Maria Yumiko AU - Tominaga MY AD - CETESB - Sao Paulo State Environmental Company, Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAU - He, Jun AU - He J AD - Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China. FAU - Li, Jun AU - Li J AD - State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Ma, Jianmin AU - Ma J AD - College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China. FAU - Ma, Wan-Li AU - Ma WL AD - International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China. FAU - Aristizabal, Beatriz H AU - Aristizabal BH AD - Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental Research Group (GTAIHA), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Manizales, Colombia. FAU - Dreyer, Annekatrin AU - Dreyer A AD - Eurofins GfA GmbH (Now Operating Under the Name ANECO Institut fur Umweltschutz GmbH & Co), Germany. FAU - Jimenez, Begona AU - Jimenez B AD - Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, IQOG-CSIC, Madrid, Spain. FAU - Munoz-Arnanz, Juan AU - Munoz-Arnanz J AD - Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, IQOG-CSIC, Madrid, Spain. FAU - Odabasi, Mustafa AU - Odabasi M AD - Department of Environmental Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca-Izmir, Turkey. FAU - Dumanoglu, Yetkin AU - Dumanoglu Y AD - Department of Environmental Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca-Izmir, Turkey. FAU - Yaman, Baris AU - Yaman B AD - Department of Environmental Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca-Izmir, Turkey. FAU - Graf, Carola AU - Graf C AD - Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK. FAU - Sweetman, Andrew AU - Sweetman A AD - Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK. FAU - Klanova, Jana AU - Klanova J AD - RECETOX, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PL - England TA - Environ Sci Policy JT - Environmental science & policy JID - 101561733 PMC - PMC8525512 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Global air monitoring OT - PUF disk OT - Passive air sampling OT - Persistent organic pollutants OT - Semi-volatile organic compounds OT - Stockholm Convention COIS- The authors report no declarations of interest. EDAT- 2021/11/05 06:00 MHDA- 2021/11/05 06:01 PMCR- 2021/11/01 CRDT- 2021/11/04 06:20 PHST- 2021/01/13 00:00 [received] PHST- 2021/07/14 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2021/08/03 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2021/11/04 06:20 [entrez] PHST- 2021/11/05 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2021/11/05 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2021/11/01 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - S1462-9011(21)00216-1 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.08.003 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Environ Sci Policy. 2021 Nov;125:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.08.003.