Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) were monitored at the Weissfluhjoch site (Switzerland) and the top of Mt. Sonnblick (Austria) with a low volume active air sampler and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD). The air sampling rates (R air ) of the SPMD for OCP were calculated. Statistical tests showed that there was no significant difference between R air at the two different sampling sites. Quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models of the R air of the SPMD were developed for OCP using partial least square (PLS) regression. Quantum chemical descriptors computed by the semi-empirical PM6 method were used as predictor variables. The cumulative variance of the dependent variable explained by the PLS components and determined by cross-validation (Q 2 cum ) was >0.818 for each optimal model. This indicates that the model has good predictive ability and robustness. The R air of the SPMD for OCP is related to the total energy, the van der Waals area and the total dipole moment of the OCP molecules. The main factors governing R air values of OCP are intermolecular interactions and the energy required for cavity-formation in dissolution of OCP into triolein of the SPMD. The linear correlation coefficient between predicted and experimental values were all >0.921. air sampling rate, semipermeable membrane device, organochlorine pesticides, quantitative structure-property relationship
Citation:Zhu X H, Ding G H, Levy W, et al. QSPR study about sampling rates of semipermeable membrane devices for monitoring of organochlorine pesticides in Alps air.