Measurement of freely dissolved PAH concentrations in overlying water and sediment using low density polyethylene

A method based on spiking performance reference compounds (PRCs) into low density polyethylene (LDPE) to measure freely dissolved Hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in overlying water and sediment was introduced. Equilibration time of PRCs migrate to LDPE was determined and freely dissolved concentrations of three PAHs (acenaphthene, phenanthrene, pyren) in overlying water and sediment pore water were sampled and measured by the method. The results indicated that the concentrations of PRCs in LDPE were about constant after 64 h. The measurement and subsequent calculation showed that freely dissolved concentrations of PAHs in the overlying water were 0.045 μg/L, 0.087 μg/L and 0.01175 μg/L for acenaphthene, phenanthrene and pyren, respectively, and their concenreations in the sediment pore water were 0.112 μg/L, 0.080 μg/L and 0.0174 μg/L, respectively.