The use of passive sampling devices in monitoring of potential impact of offshore discharges and accidental oil spills (PASSIMPACT)

Currently, there is a need to combine chemical characterization with toxicological screening of extracts to address chemicals that are of environmental concern. This applies in particular to potential use of passive samplers as pre-concentrating devices f or bioassay-assisted fractionation and chemical identification procedures which previously has shown that the acutely toxic organic chemicals in produced water are mainly found in fraction with log Kow< 3, whereas chemicals with the potential for more lon g term effects are found in fractions with a log Kow> 3. As a consequence, there is a need to develop a combined passive sampling strategy using time-integrative samplers that discriminate between bio-available fractions and that are able to be used for b oth chemical characterization and toxicity testing. The present project is directly related to research needs identified in the PROOF program background document and application guidelines for 2005. This applies in particular to the time-integrated measurement of PW components in seawater, and a comparison with similar data in iological tissues. The measurements of the components will be combined with toxicological screening of resulting extracts, thus linking chemical data to effect/biomarker responses. The practical work will be divided into four work packages (WPs): 1) laboratory studies with a controlled exposure situation (i.e. with and without bio-fouling); 2) controlled laboratory study of the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of oil; 3) field study at an oil field; 4) data and concept validation using the DREAM models.