Use of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) for monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Brunei's water reservoirs

The presence of organic compounds in an aquatic environment can be a major pollution problem and hence, detection of these organic compounds which can be hazardous to both human and environmental health is important. In this study, semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) are used as samplers to determine and evaluate the concentration of a group of organic compounds namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH, EPA priority 16). Two raw water abstraction areas which are located in different districts of Brunei are selected for a one-year sampling period between 2018 and 2019. SPMD are passive in-situ monitoring devices that can measure organic contaminants at a miniscule concentration in aqueous environment. This device consists of a thin film of lipid membrane with triolein enclosed in a thin-walled lay flat tubing made of low-density polymer. These characteristics make it an ideal sampler for the experiment. The SPMD-acquired concentration of PAHs accumulated in the SPMDs will be compared with those in water concentration taken from grab sampling technique. PAHs concentration will be determined and quantified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The use of SPMDs in this research provides a unique approach for Brunei Darussalam's water monitoring program due to the fact that such research and experiments have never been carried out before in Brunei Darussalam.