A critical review of the field applications of diffusive gradients (DGT) in assessing the environmental behavior of emerging organic contaminants: Advantages, limitations, and methodological considerations

• Most of the DGT techniques for measuring EOCs in field were summarized. • DGTs offer high accuracy and reliability for measure EOCs. • The performance of DGTs can be affected by DBL when the water flow rate is slow. • Prevention of loss and damage are important for DGT field applications. • DGT is a powerful tool for studying the behaviors of EOCs in sediments and soils. As the environmental impacts of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) gained increasing global attention, the monitoring of their concentrations and the assessment of their ecological risks have become critical areas of research. Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) have been increasingly applied to investigate the distribution and environmental behavior of EOCs in aquatic, soil, and sedimentary environments. This review synthesizes current advancements in DGT technology, with a particular focus on the field applications of DGTs for the studies of the distributions and behaviors of EOCs in the water bodies, soil, and sediment. The advantages, and limitations of diffusion and binding layer materials, filter membranes, and molding techniques were summarized based on the principles of DGT. The reliability and stability of DGT for EOCs determination in aquatic environments are evaluated through a comparative analysis with traditional grab sampling methods. The advantages and limitations of DGT are also discussed in relation to other passive sampling techniques. In addition, common challenges associated with DGT field deployments are identified, and potential strategies for methodological improvements are proposed. Finally, this review consolidates existing studies on the application of DGT in examining the distribution and environmental behavior of EOCs in water, soil, and sediment systems. These findings collectively underscore the utility of DGT in advancing the study of EOCs environmental behavior and in facilitating ecological risk assessment.