For several years now Passive Diffusion Sampler (PDS) technology has been applied to many sites to improve the information gained during groundwater monitoring and to reduce the cost of sampling. Wide acceptance of these samplers has been gained for hydrophobic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) using the polyethylene bag technique with hundreds of studies demonstrating their effectiveness since 1998. While this material is extremely useful for these specific target analytes, there is a need to identify additional materials that would enable similar performance for hydrophilic organics, semivolatile organics and inorganic target analytes as well. Additional studies using new materials have been underway and progress can be reported on a new type of passive diffusion sampler: the Rigid Porous Polyethylene Sampler (RPPs).

These efforts to develop passive diffusion samplers for common long term monitoring inorganic and organic parameters include both laboratory and field demonstration studies. Recent data will be presented to demonstrate the performance and feasibility of these materials. Data will include that from recent ERDC CRREL studies as well as data from the passive diffusion sampler comparison study performed at McCelland Air Force Base and others. There will also be a short discussion of the laboratory considerations that must be addressed with use of these samplers.