Sampling for Purgeable Organic Compounds Using Positive‐Displacement Piston and Centrifugal Submersible Pumps: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Abstract Positive‐displacement piston pumps that minimize sample agitation have no apparent advantage over centrifugal submersible pumps when used to collect ground water samples for analysis of low concentrations of purge‐able organic compounds. Analytical uncertainties inherent in laboratory environments appear to influence analytical results of low‐concentration purgeable organic compound samples more than either pump type or sampling team. Centrifugal submersible pumps are at least equally efficient as positive‐displacement piston pumps in the recovery of carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1‐trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and chloroform after sampling and analytical influences are made constant.