A New Device for Collecting Samples from Groundwater Monitoring Wells

摘要

Obtaining truly representative groundwater samples which have low turbidity and minimal volatile organic compound (VOC) loss has been, until now, a sampling dilemma. Current practice requires groundwater monitoring wells to be purged, drawing out the "standing) groundwater and drawing in fresh, "representative" formation water. This is primarily because available samplers cold only gather a "mixed column" sample from groundwater which is "static" (resident) above the well screen interval, and unavailable to refreshment by flow through the screened interval of the well. Furthermore, purged groundwater contaminated with toxic chemicals must be either disposed of an appropriate landfill, or treated at a TSD permitted treatment facility. The KABIS Discrete Sampler was designed to solve as many of these sampling problems as possible; it has no moving parts, and is extremely simple to operate and decontaminate. The sampler can be lowered past flating product without affectign the integrity of the sample, and it is capable of sampling at any depth below or above the screened interval of any well, making purging of the well unnecessary. Since the Kabis Sampler samples directly into the sampling container (via laminar flow), lossof volatile fractions within a sample is greatly minimized. The hydrodynamic shape of the Kabis Sampler creates a minimal amount of hydrodynamic dispersion of settled flocculants and soil particles, providing the least turbid sample available. This paper provides a literature review of current sampling methods and their reasonign, and provides for a new groundwater sampling device and method.