A new airtight sampling method for sulfur hexafluoride (SF) in groundwater.

In the past 20 years, sulfur hexafluoride (SF) has been considered a highly reliable tracer for assessing modern water (< 65 yrs old) in groundwater. However, modern-air contamination may introduce complications in interpreting data obtained using current sampling methods. A new airtight methodology isolates the sample from modern ambient air; thus, returning more reproducible and reliable results when compared to two traditional (air-sensitive and non-airtight) methods.