Sorptive physiologically based extraction of contaminated solid matrices: incorporating silicone rod as absorption sink for hydrophobic organic contaminants

Gouliarmou, V., Collins, C. D., Christiansen, E. and Mayer, P. (2013) Sorptive physiologically based extraction of contaminated solid matrices: incorporating silicone rod as absorption sink for hydrophobic organic contaminants. Environmental Science and Technology, 47 (2). pp. 941-948. ISSN 0013-936X doi: 10.1021/es303165u

Abstract/Summary

The oral bioaccessibility of soil contaminants is increasingly assessed with Physiologically Based Extraction Tests (PBETs) to fine tune human health risk assessment of contaminated land. In these tests the contaminant fraction that is desorbed into simulated digestive fluids is measured and classified as bioaccessible. However, this approach can lead to underestimations if the capacity of the fluids is insufficient to provide infinite bath conditions. To circumvent this artefact, we incorporated a silicone rod as an absorption sink into the PBET to continuously absorb mobilized contaminants and maintain the desorption gradient. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons served as model contaminants and the colon extended PBET (CEPBET) as the extraction model. The inclusion of the silicone rod sink (1) increased the extraction capacity of the test by orders of magnitude, (2) ensured (near) infinite bath conditions and (3) allowed for simple back-extraction of PAHs for their quantification by GC-MS. The silicone rod provided fast enrichment when applied to the stomach and small intestine compartment, but was somewhat slower in the carbohydrate colon compartment. Finally, the sorptive-CEPBET was applied to wood soot and a kindergarten soil. The present article provides the basis for how an absorption sink can be integrated into PBET models.