(US20170146435) What is claimed is: 1. A method of removing and detecting the presence of substances from at least one of a body of water and the air, comprising: placing into the body of water or into the air an open-cell foam material; removing separate portions of the open-cell foam material from the water or air at different exposure times after the open-cell foam material was placed into the water or air; and determining the presence in the removed separate portions of one or more substances that were removed from the water or air by the open-cell foam material. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material is substantially non-polar. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a cross-linked copolymer of ethylene and alkyl acrylate. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a cross-linked blend of a copolymer of ethylene and alkyl acrylate, and optionally one or more other polymers selected from the group of polymers consisting of low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ionic copolymers, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, elastomers, and high density polyethylene (HDPE). 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the alkyl acrylate comprises methyl acrylate. 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the alkyl acrylate comprises ethyl acrylate. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises one or more of ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene-butyl acrylate (EBA), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), synthetic rubber, chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), olefin block copolymers, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymer, singe site initiated polyolefins, metallocene catalyzed polyolefins, grafted polymers including but not limited silane and maleic anhydride, styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyisoprene, and equivalents and blends thereof. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a polar component. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material is either crosslinked or not crosslinked, and is foamed with either a physical or chemical foaming agent. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises a plurality of separate structures selected from the group of structures consisting of strips, strips that are longer than a height of a water column, cubes, and small pieces. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the separate structures are held in place by one or more of an anchor, a weight, a netting, and a container with openings to allow the flow of water therethrough. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein placing the open-cell foam material comprises suspending a plurality of separate structures at different levels through a height of a water column. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein placing the open-cell foam material further comprises placing a plurality of separate structures at different locations in the body of water. 14. The method of claim 12 wherein placing the open-cell foam material further comprises floating a structure at least partially on the surface of the water. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein placing the open-cell foam material into the body of water comprises casting the open-cell foam material into the water with a fishing rod. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein placing the open-cell foam material into the body of water comprises dragging the open-cell foam material behind a boat that moves through the water, or floating the open-cell material on the surface of the water, or coupling the open-cell foam material to a dock, or placing the open-cell foam material in a bathtub or sink. 17. The method of claim 1 wherein removing separate portions of the open-cell foam material from the water or air at different exposure times after the open-cell foam material was placed into the water or air, takes place at more than one time over an exposure time of at least eight hours. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein removing separate portions of the open-cell foam material from the water or air at different exposure times after the open-cell foam material was placed into the water or air, takes place at more than one time over an exposure time of at least one day. 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the substances are selected from the group of substances consisting of oil, diesel range organics, gasoline range organics, drilling fluids, biocides, glutaraldehyde, metals, organometals, metalloids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), fertilizers, solvents, human waste, pharmaceuticals, radioactive materials, and components thereof. 20. A method of removing and detecting the presence of substances from at least one of a body of water and the air, comprising: suspending a plurality of separate structures comprising an open-cell foam material in the form of strips, strips that are longer than a height of a water column, cubes, and small pieces, at different levels through a height of a water column of the body of water and at different locations in the body of water; removing separate portions of the structures from the water at different exposure times after the structures were placed into the water; and determining the presence in the removed separate portions of one or more substances that were removed from the water by the structures, wherein the substances are selected from the group of substances consisting of oil, diesel range organics, gasoline range organics, drilling fluids, biocides, glutaraldehyde, metals, organometals, metalloids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), fertilizers, solvents, human waste, pharmaceuticals, and components thereof. 21. The method of claim 20 wherein the open-cell foam material comprises one or more of ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-ethyl acrylate (EEA), ethylene-butyl acrylate (EBA), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), synthetic rubber, chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), olefin block copolymers, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymer, singe site initiated polyolefins, metallocene catalyzed polyolefins, grafted polymers including but not limited silane and maleic anhydride, styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyisoprene, and equivalents and blends thereof.
最新评论
暂无评论。