Passive sampling screening method using thin-layer chromatography plates

An in situ solid-phase extraction method, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) passive sampling, was investigated as a screening method for determining the presence of organic compounds in water using laboratory experiments and field applications. The TLC passive sampler developed in this research enables the spatial and temporal distributions of organic compounds to be determined qualitatively with little expense. The materials for the sampler developed here cost $1.60 each. By first identifying the areas where a pollutant is present using the TLC passive sampling screening method, total analytical costs for monitoring programs may be reduced by eliminating unnecessary conventional analyses for locations where the pollutant is not present. Two organophosphorus pesticides, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, were used as a model for the development and as a potential application of the TLC passive sampling method. Passive sampler adsorption kinetics, enrichment factors, and extraction efficiencies were determined from batch experiments with exposure times ranging from 1 h to 4 weeks. In field applications, TLC passive sampling was conducted in natural and engineered systems with two silica gel extraction media, C2 and C18. Diazinon and chlorpyrifos were detected by analyzing the adsorbed compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.