Evaluating the Quality of Groundwater Samplers: An Independent Bench-Scale Study
HydraSleeves are no-purge groundwater samplers used to collect water samples from wells for various environmental and analytical purposes. The HydraSleeve Sampler alongside an emergence of similar products have become extremely popular within the environmental community both globally and locally due to their ease of use and cost efficiency. However, questions arise regarding the equivalency of quality among these samplers and their comparative accuracy. Are these samplers of comparable quality, and how do they stack up against one another in terms of accuracy?
Accuracy and reliability of sampling tools are paramount in ensuring the integrity of data collected for crucial environmental assessments. As a result, independent studies are crucial for maintaining the integrity of data in several key ways:
Unbiased evaluation for truly independent and transparent results free from manufacturer influence
Builds confidence in the integrity of the sampling results
Empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions by providing objective and reliable data.
For over 20 years, EON Products and GeoInsight have been leaders in the development and supply of passive groundwater samplers for environmental monitoring. With the rise in concern of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in groundwater monitoring results, the HydraSleeve’s latest independent study assesses the HydraSleeve’s effectiveness as a PFAS sampling device.
This article summarises the results of the independent bench-scale study.
EON Products subjected their HDPE HydraSleeve to independent testing with confidence it would provide further evidence of its effectiveness as a PFAS sampling device. The HDPE HydraSleeve has been used extensively to conduct sampling of known or suspected PFAS contaminated sites since its launch and its use has been widely supported by private and field-specific studies.
The independent testing provided a controlled environment to evaluate the ability of the HDPE HydraSleeve to obtain representative measurements of PFAS at low concentrations in aqueous environments. There were two main ways in which concentration of PFAS in samples could be biased, PFAS leaching into the sample from the HydraSleeve (increasing sample concentration) or the HydraSleeve adsorbing PFAS from the sample (decreasing sample concentration).
The rigorous testing process involved three main aspects:
HydraSleeve and Tether Materials Quality Testing – this involved conducting rinsate tests on the HDPE HydraSleeve and soak-testing the tether materials to determine whether the sampling equipment contained PFAS which could leach into the sample.
Comparison Testing – Samples were taken using the HydraSleeve from a PFAS-spiked test chamber. The concentration of PFAS in the HydraSleeve sample was then compared to two control results from the water surrounding the sleeves in the chamber. This was to show whether HydraSleeve samples accurately represent the sample environment.
Delayed Discharge Testing – One of the HydraSleeve samples was left suspended for 15 minutes before the sample was discharged and another was left for 20 minutes. This tested whether the HDPE HydraSleeves adsorb any PFAS from samples between the time of acquisition and discharge.
Extensive HydraSleeve Bench Scale Testing found that:
HDPE HydraSleeves and manufacturer-provided suspension tether components do not leach PFAS into samples acquired using the HydraSleeve.
This absence of leaching ensures samples are not biased high, even at low-concentration levels (single digit ng/L).
HDPE HydraSleeves accurately represent the test environment, as shown by their high positive correlations with control samples taken directly from the environment.
In most cases, HydraSleeve sample results were within 2-3 ng/L of the average of two control results.
Click the below to download the full report on the independent study.
