Assessment of Silicone Polymer Composites for Environmental Forensic Applications: A Proof of Concept Study

• NCJ Number: 232572
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2010 Pages: 1245-1250
• Author(s): Stephanie K. Bell, B.S., B.A.; Piero R. Gardinali, Ph.D.
• Date Published: September 2010
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Preliminary information presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Science, February 21-26, 2005, in New Orleans, LA, and at the SETAC-NA 2005 Annual Meeting, November 13-17, 2005, in Altimaore, MD.

Annotation

This study evaluates the use of polydimethylsiloxane polymer composites (PDMS, Fe-PDMS) as a passive sampling media to preconcentrate analytes found in environmental settings.

Abstract

Samplers were made using commercially available silicone products. The composite samplers were assessed for their sorption properties using Atrazine and Irgarol 1051 as model compounds. The initial study assessed the utility of PDMS sheets as adsorption material by following analyte depletion from spiked water samples by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Follow-up studies conducted at high and low concentrations using lab manufactured iron- PDMS rods (Fe-PDMS) showed effective uptake at differential rates from concentrations ranging between 1 ìg/L and 10 ìg/L. Adsorption mechanism was reversible, and compounds were recovered from the exposed materials and analyzed by liquid-liquid extraction-GC/MS. Both composites showed better affinity for Irgarol 1051, 100 percent removal, than for Atrazine, 30 percent removal, likely representing their K(OW) differences, 3.6 and 2.6, respectively. This "proof of concept" study demonstrates the positive implications for the use of silicon polymer composites as a monitoring tool for environmental forensic purposes. (Published Abstract)