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ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, GROUNDWATER SAMPLING TECHNOLOGIES, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT EQUIPMENT, SAMPLEASE BLADDER PUMP
Citation:
Einfeld, W. AND E N. Koglin. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, GROUNDWATER SAMPLING TECHNOLOGIES, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT EQUIPMENT, SAMPLEASE BLADDER PUMP. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-00/078 (NTIS PB2003-106590), 2000.
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this task is to increase the acceptance and use of site characterization and monitoring technologies by providing verified performance data and reports on the performance of environmental monitoring and site characterization technologies.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Environmental Technology Verification Program (ETV) to facilitate the deployment of innovative or improved environmental technologies through performance verification and dissemination of information. The goal of the ETV Program is to further environmental protection by substantially accelerating the acceptance and use of improved and cost-effective technologies. ETV seeks to achieve this goal by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed data on technology performance to those involved in the design, distribution, financing, permitting purchase, and use of environmental technologies.
The SamplEase is a bladder pump consisting of an internal flexible Teflon bladder that is positioned within a rigid stainless steel pump body. The ends of the pump are also constructed of Teflon. The inner bladder is equipped with one-way inlet and outlet valves and passively fills with water when the pump is at depth in the well as a result of the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the surrounding water column. Following the fill cycle, compressed air or nitrogen from a cylinder or compressor at the wellhead is driven down to the pump through tubing to compress the bladder, thus driving the sample up to the surface through a second tubing line. The pumping sequence consists of repeated fill-compress cycles, using a pneumatic controller positioned at the wellhead. The controller is used to vary the duration and frequency of the fill-compress cycles in order to deliver the desired sample flow rate at the wellhead. The bladder design offers the advantage of minimizing sample turbulence, which can result in loss of VOCs in the sample, as well as eliminating contact of the water sample with the compressed air or nitrogen used to lift the sample to the surface.