Passive Sampling Devices
Measuring environmental exposure to chemicals
Passive sampling devices (PSDs) mimic the way organic chemicals are absorbed into the body and enable researchers and their partners to conduct time-integrated evaluation of chemicals in the environment. In our Center's research, these devices have been used throughout the US to evaluate chemical contaminants in the environment near Superfund sites. Passive sampling devices can be used to evaluate environmental chemicals as well as personal exposure. Current methods in the Anderson Lab enable evaluation of over 1,530 semi-volatile and volatile organic chemicals.
PSDs can be used in a variety of configurations. Environmental samplers have been developed to allow evaluation of chemicals found in the air, water and sediment of a specific location over time. The Anderson research team also invented the use of passive sampling wristbands as the first low-cost approach to measure individual exposure to PAHs for people near Superfund sites. The personal samplers have also been adapted for use with pets and livestock. These samplers provide information on what a single individual is exposed to over time as they move through their environment.
The low cost and ease of use lead to high rates of participant compliance and thereby substantially increase the value of the collected data. The methods the laboratory has developed are helping site managers to assess the relative contributions of Superfund sites and other sources to people's personal exposures, and to identify nearby locations where people experience the highest external exposures to PAHs and may therefore experience the greatest risk.
Slideshow: Passive Sampling Devices Explained
PSDs sequester semi-volatile and volatile organic chemicals
The sampler has been deployed throughout the US and can be set up by community volunteers
After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, water samplers were set out at affected beaches
The sampler is buried in the sediment so water can seep through.
To study how chemicals move between the air, water and sediment, the samplers can be combined
Image depicting how chemicals can move through the environment, measured by PSDs
Image depicting the process by which chemicals are sequestered and then analyzed
Made of silicone, the sampler is worn like a bracelet
The wristband can sequester over 1,530 semi-volatile and volatile organic chemicals
We have used PSDs throughout the US and on other continents
Integration with other research
Passive samplers have been used heavily to investigate environmental contamination around the Portland Harbor Superfund Sites, and integrated with the zebrafish model to evaluate toxicity. Passive samplers deployed around the Portland Harbor site helped develop SuperMix10.
The Community Engagement Core used passive samplers as part of our Tribal-University partnership:
- A Case Study Describing a Community-Engaged Approach for Evaluating Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure in a Native American Community (Rohlman et al, external link to publication)
- A passive sampling model to predict PAHs in butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus), a traditional food source for Native American tribes of the Salish Sea Region (Minick et al, external link to publication)
The personal passive sampler is applicable for disaster research.
Videos: Passive Sampling
This video will show you where contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs, go when they enter the environment and how you can be exposed to them. Knowing where they are can help you avoid those areas and reduce your risk of coming into contact with harmful chemicals.
This video describes passive sampling devices or PSDs, a unique tool that we use to measure contaminants (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the environment.
Description of the passive sampling wristband developed in the Anderson laboratory at Oregon State University.
Passive Sampling Devices Module 1: Overview
Passive Sampling Devices Module 2: Stationary Air Sampler
Step by step process on deploying the lipid free tubing passive sample device to measure air quality with field examples from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Passive Sampling Devices Module 3: Water and Sediment
Step by step process on preparing the device for deployment with examples of use in the field.
The passive wristband samplers detect an individual's exposure to chemicals in their environment. This video goes behind the scenes to show how scientists remove and identify the chemicals trapped in the wristband.