Characterization of a green expanded DGT methodology for the in-situ detection of emerging endocrine disrupting chemicals in water systems

Performances of sustainable and easy-to-make agarose (1.5%) - AC (1%) DGTs to monitor emerging EDCs were investigated. TGA, EDX showed agarose (1.5%) and agarose (1.5%) - AC (1%) biodegradable gels have constant water-carbon ratio along the two-dimensions ensuring consistent diffusive property and binding abilities. Gaussian simulations gave back lengths and widths of (12.32 angstrom; 5.11 angstrom), (12.32 angstrom; 6.77 angstrom), (10.18 angstrom; 4.36 angstrom), (10.23 angstrom; 4.83 angstrom) for E2, EE2, BPA and BPAF, respectively. FE-SEM characterization showed agarose (1.5%) has average pore number of 22 +/- 5 mu m2 with d.nm 0 30 nm, while agarose (1.5%) - AC (1%) 13 +/- 2 mu m2 with d.nm 0 45, ensuring free analytes diffusion. Effective diffusion coefficients at 25 degrees C were (3.97 +/- 0.98 center dot 10-6 cm2 s-1), (3.18 +/- 0.04 center dot 10-6 cm2 s-1), (3.09 +/- 0.61 center dot 10-6 cm2 s-1), (3.55 +/- 1.03 center dot 10-6 cm2 s-1) for E2, EE2, BPA and BPAF respectively. Kinetic studies showed agarose (1.5%) - AC (1%) uptakes, over the first 60 min, 97%, 95%, 98%, 98% of E2, EE2, BPA, BPAF, respectively with relative binding rates of 2.48, 3.55, 2.05, 1.20 ng cm-2 min-1. Agarose (1.5%) - AC (1%) DGT resulted suitable for EDCs in trace detection.