Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) are the most common type of passive air sampler used for a range of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including regulated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and emerging contaminants (e.g., novel flame retardants, phthalates, current-use pesticides). Data from PUF-PAS are key indicators of effectiveness of global regulatory actions on SVOCs, such as the Global Monitoring Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. While most PUF-PAS use similar double-dome metal shielding, there is no standardized dome size, shape, or deployment configuration, with many different PUF-PAS designs used in regional and global monitoring. Yet, no information is available on the comparability of data from studies using different PUF-PAS designs. We brought together 12 types of PUF-PAS used by different research groups around the world and deployed them in a multi-part intercomparison to evaluate the variability in reported concentrations introduced by different elements of PAS monitoring. PUF-PAS were deployed for 3 months in outdoor air in Kjeller, Norway in 2015–2016 in three phases to capture (1) the influence of sampler design on data comparability, (2) the influence of analytical variability when samplers are analyzed at different laboratories, and (3) the overall variability in global monitoring data introduced by differences in sampler configurations and analytical methods. Results indicate that while differences in sampler design (in particular, the spacing between the upper and lower sampler bowls) account for up to 50 % differences in masses collected by samplers, the variability introduced by analysis in different laboratories far exceeds this amount, resulting in differences spanning orders of magnitude for POPs and PAHs. The high level of variability due to analysis in different laboratories indicates that current SVOC air sampling data (i.e., not just for PUF-PAS but likely also for active air sampling) are not directly comparable between laboratories/monitoring programs. To support on-going efforts to mobilize more SVOC data to contribute to effectiveness evaluation, intercalibration exercises to account for uncertainties in air sampling, repeated at regular intervals, must be established to ensure analytical comparability and avoid biases in global-scale assessments of SVOCs in air caused by differences in laboratory performance.

聚氨酯泡沫被动空气采样器 (PUF-PAS) 是最常见的被动空气采样器类型，用于一系列半挥发性有机化合物 (SVOC)，包括受管制的持久性有机污染物 (POP) 和多环芳烃 (PAH)，以及新出现的污染物（例如，新型阻燃剂、邻苯二甲酸盐、当前使用的杀虫剂）。来自 PUF-PAS 的数据是 SVOC 全球监管行动有效性的关键指标，例如关于持久性有机污染物的斯德哥尔摩公约全球监测计划。虽然大多数 PUF-PAS 使用类似的双圆顶金属屏蔽，但没有标准化的圆顶尺寸、形状或部署配置，在区域和全球监测中使用了许多不同的 PUF-PAS 设计。然而，没有关于使用不同 PUF-PAS 设计的研究数据的可比性的信息。我们汇集了世界各地不同研究小组使用的 12 种类型的 PUF-PAS，并将它们部署在多部分比对中，以评估 PAS 监测的不同元素引入的报告浓度的可变性。PUF-PAS 于 2015-2016 年分三个阶段在挪威 Kjeller 的室外空气中部署了 3 个月，以捕捉 (1) 采样器设计对数据可比性的影响，(2) 采样器在不同条件下分析时分析变异性的影响实验室，以及 (3) 采样器配置和分析方法的差异导致的全球监测数据的整体可变性。结果表明，虽然采样器设计的差异（特别是上下采样器碗之间的间距）导致采样器收集的质量差异高达 50%，不同实验室的分析引入的可变性远远超过这个数量，导致持久性有机污染物和多环芳烃的数量级差异。由于在不同实验室进行分析而导致的高度可变性表明，当前的 SVOC 空气采样数据（即，不仅针对 PUF-PAS，而且可能还针对主动空气采样）在实验室/监测程序之间无法直接比较。为了支持正在进行的动员更多 SVOC 数据以促进有效性评估的努力，必须建立相互校准练习以解释空气采样中的不确定性，定期重复，以确保分析的可比性并避免全球范围内 SVOC 评估的偏差实验室性能差异造成的空气。