Ceramic Passive Sampler (CPS)

The quality of analysis of water contamination is determined by the quality of the sample. Considering the elevated cost of a single analysis, the quality of sampling methods is of utmost importance.

CPS is the only available on the market passive water sampler based on ceramic membrane. It consists of a porous ceramic cylinder of approximately AA battery size, with a sorbent enclosed inside (see attached image). The porous ceramic material of the cylinder functions as a membrane and controls the diffusion of the contaminants. The key advantage of CPS is the possibility to customize both the ceramic membrane and the adsorbent composition to the various analytical needs.

CPS has been develoed and rigorously tested within IDAEA-CSIC institution. Currrently CPS is a fully functional prototype in the pre-commercial phase. The technology has been patented, published in 5 academic articles, and supported by early adopters such as Aigües de Barcelona.

Function:

The sampler is placed into water for a period of 1-4 weeks, and during this time the contaminants diffuse through the membrane and accumulate on the adsorbent. At the end of the sampling period, the sampler is retrieved from the water and analyzed to provide time weighted average contaminant concentrations. Thus, with a weekly to monthly periodic sampling, continuous monitoring can be approached without increasing the number of analyses and costs per sample in comparison with the conventional grab sampling approach (see attached image).