Vapor-filled polyethylene diffusion samplers (typically used to locate discharge zones of volatile organic compound contaminated ground water beneath streams and lakes) and water-filled polyethylene diffusion bag samplers (typically used to obtain volatile organic compound concentrations in ground-water at wells) were tested to determine compound selectivity, equilibration times, and sample stability. The aqueous concentrations of several volatile organic compounds obtained from within water-filled diffusion samplers closely matched concentrations in ambient water outside the samplers. An exception was methyl-tert-butyl ether, which was detectable, but not reliably quantifiable using the diffusion samplers. The samplers equilibrated to a variety of volatile organic compounds within 24 h for vapor-filled passive diffusion vial samplers and within 48 h for water-filled passive diffusion bag samplers. Under field conditions, however, a longer equilibration time may be required to account for environmental disturbances caused by sampler deployment. An equilibrium period for both vapor- and water-filled diffusion samplers of approximately 2 weeks probably is adequate for most investigations in sandy formations. Longer times may be required for diffusion-sampler equilibration in poorly permeable sediment. The vapor-filled samplers should be capped and water from the diffusion bag samplers should be transferred to sampling vials immediately upon recovery to avoid volatilization losses of the gasses. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
Vroblesky, D. A., & Campbell, T. R. (2001). Equilibration times, compound selectivity, and stability of diffusion samplers for collection of ground-water VOC concentrations. Advances in Environmental Research, 5(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1093-0191(00)00036-8
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