A new type of composite membrane, triolein embedded cellulose acetate membrane (TECAM), was produced by embedding triolein drops in the matrix of cellulose acetate polymers. The distribution of six organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) between water and TECAM was investigated in a static water system. Its field application was tested in Taihu Lake (China). Results from both laboratory and field experiments indicate that TECAM quickly and efficiently accumulated hydrophobic OCPs from water. Under laboratory conditions, uptake equilibrium was achieved within 24 h for all of the six OCPs. Significant correlations were obtained between log K p TECAM (TECAM-water partition coefficient) and log K ow (octanol-water partition coefficient); between log K tw (triolein-water partition coefficient, triolein in TECAM) and log K ow ; and between log K tw and log BCF (bioconcentration factor in rainbow trout calculated from literatures). Triolein in TECAM significantly increased the accumulation of strongly hydrophobic OCPs when compared to the use of cellulose acetate polymers alone. Temperature had only slight effects on the K p TECAM values of the strongly hydrophobic OCPs. The partition coefficient obtained by measuring OCP concentrations in TECAM under field conditions could be successfully applied to estimate OCPs concentrations in surface water.

In this paper we report an extension of our previous work on the triolein-embedded cellulose acetate membrane (TECAM) as a passive sampling device (PSD) and describe the results from simultaneous exposure of TECAMs and triolein-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to PAHs in lake water for 16 days. The data obtained provided a comparison of the uptake rates of specific PAHs by the two PSDs. Using 16-day accumulation tests, similar PAH distribution patterns in TECAMs and in SPMDs (R 2 ) 0.89, p < 0.0001) were observed. However, it was noted that TECAMs could take up greater amounts of PAHs than SPMDs (735 ng/g of TECAM vs 630 ng/g of SPMD). Uptake rate constants of TECAMs and SPMDs for 16 priority pollutant (PP) PAHs, corrected for dissolved organic carbon, ranged from 0.28 to 2.94 L d -1 and from 0.16 to 0.91 L d -1 , respectively. The elimination rate constants of TECAMs were 1.4-6.7 times greater than those observed for SPMDs, thereby indicating that PAHs required shorter times to achieve equilibrium in TECAMs than in SPMDs. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that TECAMs have significant potential as a good monitor to assess the pollution of hydrophobic pollutants in aquatic environments.