Automated rain sampler for trace organic substances

An automated rain sampler was designed, built, and evaluated as a collecting device for persistent organic chemicals in rain. It consists of a large Teflon-coated funnel (0.209 m super(2)) with an automated lid and a Teflon column containing XAD-2 or -7 resin. The sampler was tested for recoveries and field precision with a number of organochlorine substances and PCB's frequently found at the nanogram per liter level in rain. Recoveries averaged 86%, and the mean coefficient of variation for alpha -benzene hexachloride, lindane, and polychlorinated biphenyl was 33% under field conditions where samples of 0.4-22 L of rain were collected.