Conclusions
The application of SBSE devices allows a rapid and low-cost assessment
of airborne PAHs levels in indoor environments and may help to decide if
more sophisticated standardized sampling procedure are worth being
applied. The charm of this approach lies the easy applicability and the
option to investigate a given architecture in space and time and thus
not only estimate airborne levels but provide valuable information on
the dynamics of analyte interaction between sources and sinks and the
influence of temperature and aeration. Since PAH congener pattern
observed after stir bar sorptive extraction from indoor air resembled
largely that observed after pump sampling it should serve as orientating
procedure to assess necessity for pump sampling. Future developments may
use different SBSE device sizes, different adsorber phases and modified
placement of SBSE devices such that adsorption of dust particles can
optionally be allowed or excluded in a controlled manner. Thus, SBSE may
be developed towards a procedure suppoorting a comprehensive risk
assessment regarding PAH levels in indoor environments.