Ambient air passive sampling technology for persistent organic pollutants

In this paper,five most popular passive air samplers( PAS) used to collect persistent organic pollutants( POPs) in the air are reviewed. They are semi-permeable membrane PAS,polyurethane foam disk PAS,XAD-2 resin PAS,membrane-enclosed sorptive coatings PAS,which includes a stir-bar sampler PAS and a silicone elastomer rod PAS,and sorbent( XAD-4 resin) impregnated polyurethane foam disk PAS. The basic principle of PAS sampling technique and the calculation method of the sampling rate of PAS( R s) for POPs,which is a the key parameter in the calculation of the POPs concentration in the air from the amount of POPs sequestered by the PAS,are introduced,with particular emphasis on the measurement of R s and the latest research results of the influence factors on the R s. Additionally, some important research issues related to the future development of PAS technology are alse indicated.