Papers by Michael Bartkow
Environmental science. Processes & impacts, 2014
Growing concern about the environmental impact of ionizable and polar organic chemicals such as p... more Growing concern about the environmental impact of ionizable and polar organic chemicals such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products has lead to the inclusion of some in legislative and regulatory frameworks. It is expected that future monitoring requirements for these chemicals in aquatic environments will increase, along with the need for low cost monitoring and risk assessment strategies. In this study the uptake of 13 neutral and 6 ionizable pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products by modified POCIS (with Strata™-X sorbent) and Chemcatchers™ (SDB-RPS or SDB-XC) was investigated under controlled conditions at pH = 6.5 for 26 days. The modified POCIS and Chemcatcher™ (SDB-RPS) samplers exhibited similar performance with the uptake of the majority of the 19 chemicals of interest categorised as linear over the 26 day deployment. Only a few ionized herbicides (picloram and dicamba) and triclosan showed negligible accumulation. Chemcatcher™ with SDB-XC ...
FIELD EVALUATION OF PASSIVE SAMPLERS: MONITORING POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) IN STORMWATER
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, 2006
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using semipermeable membrane devices (SP... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polyethylene-based passive sampler devices (PSDs) for monitoring PAHs in stormwater. Firstly, SPMDs were deployed at one site and SPMD-derived water concentrations were compared with water concentration measured from grab samples. In a subsequent deployment the performance of SPMDs and PSDs was compared. Finally
A screening level fate model of organic contaminants from advanced water treatment in a potable water supply reservoir
Water research, 2011
Augmentation of potable water sources by planned indirect potable reuse of wastewater is being wi... more Augmentation of potable water sources by planned indirect potable reuse of wastewater is being widely considered to address growing water shortages. Environmental buffers such as lakes and dams may act as one of a series of barriers to potable water contamination stemming from micropollutants in wastewater. In South-East Queensland, Australia, current government policy is to begin indirect potable reuse of water from reverse osmosis equipped advanced water treatment plants (AWTPs) when the combined capacity of its major storages is at 40% capacity. A total of 15 organic contaminants including NDMA and bisphenol A have been publically reported as detected in recycled water from one of South-East Queensland's AWTPs, while another 98 chemicals were analysed for, but found to be below their detection limit. To assess the natural attenuation in Lake Wivenhoe, a Level III fugacity based evaluative fate model was constructed using the maximum concentrations of these contaminants detect...
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2000
Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides are used in large quantities on agricultural lands adjoining the... more Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides are used in large quantities on agricultural lands adjoining the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Routine monitoring at fourteen sites in inshore waters of the GBR using passive sampling techniques detected diuron (32 – 94 % of sampling periods) at maximum concentrations of 1.7 to 430 ng.L-1 in the relatively pristine Cape York Region to the Mackay
Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in matched samples of human milk, dust and indoor air
Environment International, 2009
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic, persistent pollutants found worldwide in e... more Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic, persistent pollutants found worldwide in environmental and human samples. Exposure pathways for PBDEs remain unclear but may include food, air and dust. The aim of this study was to conduct an integrated assessment of PBDE exposure and human body burden using 10 matched samples of human milk, indoor air and dust collected in 2007–2008
Environmental Pollution, 2006
Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were loaded with deuterated anthracene and pyrene as perf... more Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were loaded with deuterated anthracene and pyrene as performance reference compounds (PRCs) and deployed at a test site in four different chambers (open and closed box chamber, bowl chamber and cage chamber) for 29 days. The losses of PRCs and the uptake of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the ambient air were quantified. UV-B levels measured in
Characterizing Uptake Kinetics of PAHs from the Air Using Polyethylene-Based Passive Air Samplers of Multiple Surface Area-to-Volume Ratios
Environmental Science & Technology, 2004
Polyethylene passive sampling devices (PSDs) were deployed to investigate how passive samplers of... more Polyethylene passive sampling devices (PSDs) were deployed to investigate how passive samplers of multiple surface area-to-volume ratios could be used to characterize uptake kinetics for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Theoretically, uptake profiles for different thickness PSDs of the same surface area should show the following: where uptake is linear, the amount of compound accumulated in the different PSDs will be the same and where equilibrium is approached, the amount accumulated by the different PSDs will be proportional to sampler thickness. Polyethylene sheets of the same surface area and approximately 100 and 200 microm thickness were collected after 30, 60, and 90 days of exposure along with samples from a codeployed high volume sampler. Twelve priority pollutant PAHs could be routinely quantified in replicate PSDs. Overall, reproducibility between replicate PSDs was satisfactory, with normalized differences rarely exceeding 25%. The smallest analytes quantified, fluorene, phenanthrene, and anthracene, were shown to approach equilibrium during the deployment period, whereas uptake for fluoranthene and pyrene moved into the curvilinear stage. For most of the larger molecular weight PAHs such as indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, uptake could be described using a linear uptake model. Preliminary sampling rates for the compounds which remained in the linear stage of uptake ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 m3 d(-1) dm(-2). Sampler to air partition coefficients were estimated for PAHs which approached equilibrium and predicted for some of the other compounds. Results suggest that a single deployment of PSDs with multiple surface area-to-volume ratios can be sufficient to determine whether uptake was linear or approaching equilibrium for a range of PAHs.
Passive air sampling theory for semivolatile organic compounds
Chemosphere, 2005
The mathematical modelling underlying passive air sampling theory can be based on mass transfer c... more The mathematical modelling underlying passive air sampling theory can be based on mass transfer coefficients or rate constants. Generally, these models have not been inter-related. Starting with basic models, the exchange of chemicals between the gaseous phase and the sampler is developed using mass transfer coefficients and rate constants. Importantly, the inter-relationships between the approaches are demonstrated by relating uptake
Journal of Environment Quality, 2014
Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater efflue... more Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater effluents, leaving a knowledge gap of their occurrence and risk in freshwater environments. This study measured 42 TrOCs including industrial compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at 73 river sites across Australia quarterly for 1 yr. Trace organic contaminants were found in 92% of samples, with a median of three compounds detected per sample (maximum 18). The five most commonly detected TrOCs were the pharmaceuticals salicylic acid (82%, maximum = 1530 ng/L), paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen; 45%, maximum = 7150 ng/L), and carbamazepine (27%, maximum = 682 ng/L), caffeine (65%, maximum = 3770 ng/L), and the flame retardant tris(2chloroethyl) phosphate (44%, maximum = 184 ng/L). Pesticides were detected in 28% of the samples. To determine the risk posed by the detected TrOCs to the aquatic environment, hazard quotients were calculated by dividing the maximum concentration detected for each compound by the predicted noeffect concentrations. Three of the 42 compounds monitored (the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole and the herbicide simazine) had a hazard quotient >1, suggesting that they may be causing adverse effects at the most polluted sites. A further 10 compounds had hazard quotients >0.1, indicating a potential risk; these included four pharmaceuticals, three personal care products, and three pesticides. Most compounds had hazard quotients significantly <0.1. The number of TrOCs measured in this study was limited and further investigations are required to fully assess the risk posed by complex mixtures of TrOCs on exposed biota.
Atmospheric Environment, 2004
Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) have been used as passive air samplers of semivolatile org... more Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) have been used as passive air samplers of semivolatile organic compounds in a range of studies. However, due to a lack of calibration data for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), SPMD data have not been used to estimate air concentrations of target PAHs. In this study, SPMDs were deployed for 32 days at two sites in a major
Bioanalytical tools for the evaluation of organic micropollutants during sewage treatment, water recycling and drinking water generation
Water Research, 2011
A bioanalytical test battery was used for monitoring organic micropollutants across an indirect p... more A bioanalytical test battery was used for monitoring organic micropollutants across an indirect potable reuse scheme testing sites across the complete water cycle from sewage to drinking water to assess the efficacy of different treatment barriers. The indirect potable reuse scheme consists of seven treatment barriers: (1) source control, (2) wastewater treatment plant, (3) microfiltration, (4) reverse osmosis, (5) advanced oxidation, (6) natural environment in a reservoir and (7) drinking water treatment plant. Bioanalytical results provide complementary information to chemical analysis on the sum of micropollutants acting together in mixtures. Six endpoints targeting the groups of chemicals with modes of toxic action of particular relevance for human and environmental health were included in the evaluation: genotoxicity, estrogenicity (endocrine disruption), neurotoxicity, phytotoxicity, dioxin-like activity and non-specific cell toxicity. The toxicity of water samples was expressed as toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ), a measure that translates the effect of the mixtures of unknown and potentially unidentified chemicals in a water sample to the effect that a known reference compound would cause. For each bioassay a different representative reference compound was selected. In this study, the TEQ concept was applied for the first time to the umuC test indicative of genotoxicity using 4-nitroquinoline as the reference compound for direct genotoxicity and benzo[a]pyrene for genotoxicity after metabolic activation. The TEQ were observed to decrease across the seven treatment barriers in all six selected bioassays. Each bioassay showed a differentiated picture representative for a different group of chemicals and their mixture effect. The TEQ of the samples across the seven barriers were in the same order of magnitude as seen during previous individual studies in wastewater and advanced water treatment plants and reservoirs. For the first time a benchmarking was performed that allows direct comparison of different treatment technologies and covers several orders of magnitude of TEQ from highly contaminated sewage to drinking water with TEQ close or below the limit of detection. Detection limits of the bioassays were decreased in comparison to earlier studies by optimizing sample preparation and test protocols, and were comparable to or lower than the quantification limits of the routine chemical analysis, which allowed monitoring of the presence and removal of micropollutants post Barrier 2 and in drinking water. The results obtained by bioanalytical tools were reproducible, robust and consistent with previous studies assessing the effectiveness of the wastewater and advanced water treatment plants. The results of this study indicate that bioanalytical results expressed as TEQ are useful to assess removal efficiency of micropollutants throughout all treatment steps of water recycling.
Perfluorinated alkyl acids in water, sediment and wildlife from Sydney Harbour and surroundings
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2011
Perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) including perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooc... more Perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) including perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) were measured in environmental samples collected from around Homebush Bay, an urban/industrial area in the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River estuary. Water, surface sediment, Sea Mullet (Mugil cephalus), Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea commercialis) and eggs of two bird species; White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), and Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) were analysed. In most samples PFOS was the dominant PFC. Geometric mean PFOS concentrations were 33 ng/gww (wet weight) in gull eggs, 34 ng/gww in ibis eggs, and 1.8 ng/gww and 66 ng/gww in Sea Mullet muscle and liver, respectively. In sediment the PFOS geometric mean was 1.5 ng/g, in water average PFOS and PFOA concentrations ranged from 7.5 to 21 ng/L and 4.2 to 6.4 ng/L, respectively. In oysters perfluorododecanoic acid was most abundant, with a geometric mean of 2.5 ng/gww.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2012
Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides are used in large quantities on agricultural lands adjoining the... more Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides are used in large quantities on agricultural lands adjoining the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Routine monitoring at 14 sites in inshore waters of the GBR using passive sampling techniques detected diuron (32-94% of sampling periods) at maximum concentrations of 1.7-430 ng L À1 in the relatively pristine Cape York Region to the Mackay Whitsunday Region, respectively. A PSII herbicide equivalent (PSII-HEq) index developed as an indicator for reporting was dominated by diuron (average contribution 89%) and typically increased during the wet season. The maximum PSII-HEq indicates the potential for photosynthetic inhibition of diatoms, seagrass and coral-symbionts. PSII herbicides were significantly positively correlated with remotely sensed coloured dissolved organic matter, a proxy for freshwater extent. Combining these methods provides for the first time the potential to cost-effectively monitor improvements in water quality entering the GBR with respect to exposure to PSII herbicides.
Hydrobiologia, 2006
15 To better understand how freshwater ecosystems respond to changes in catchment land-use, it is... more 15 To better understand how freshwater ecosystems respond to changes in catchment land-use, it is important 16 to develop measures of ecological health that include aspects of both ecosystem structure and function. This 17 study investigated measures of nutrient processes as potential indicators of stream ecosystem health across 18 a land-use gradient from relatively undisturbed to highly modified. A total of seven indicators (potential 19 denitrification; an index of denitrification potential relative to sediment organic matter; benthic algal 20 growth on artificial substrates amended with (a) N only, (b) P only, and (c) N and P; and d 15 N of aquatic 21 plants and benthic sediment) were measured at 53 streams in southeast Queensland, Australia. The indi-22 cators were evaluated by their response to a defined gradient of agricultural land-use disturbance as well as 23 practical aspects of using the indicators as part of a monitoring program. Regression models based on 24 descriptors of the disturbance gradient explained a large proportion of the variation in six of the seven 25 indicators. With denitrification index, algal growth in N amended substrate, and d 15 N of aquatic plants 26 demonstrating the best regression. However, the d 15 N value of benthic sediment was found to be the best 27 indicator overall for incorporation into a monitoring program, as samples were relatively easy to collect 28 and process, and were successfully collected at more than 90% of the study sites. 29
Environmental Pollution, 2006
Environmental Pollution, 2006
Performance reference compounds (or depuration compounds) can be used to correct the influence of... more Performance reference compounds (or depuration compounds) can be used to correct the influence of wind speed on sampler performance.
Environmental Pollution, 2010
Internal deployment chamber temperatures rather than ambient temperatures may be required to accu... more Internal deployment chamber temperatures rather than ambient temperatures may be required to accurately estimate PRC-based sampling rates.
Environmental Pollution, 2009
Our study indicates that photodegradation of PAHs occurs from passive water samplers (SPMDs) depl... more Our study indicates that photodegradation of PAHs occurs from passive water samplers (SPMDs) deployed in different devices.
Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in matched samples of human milk, dust and indoor air
Environment International, 2009
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic, persistent pollutants found worldwide in e... more Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic, persistent pollutants found worldwide in environmental and human samples. Exposure pathways for PBDEs remain unclear but may include food, air and dust. The aim of this study was to conduct an integrated assessment of PBDE exposure and human body burden using 10 matched samples of human milk, indoor air and dust collected in 2007–2008
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Papers by Michael Bartkow