An Underway Towed Pumping System for Trace Metal Analysis

An Underway Towed Pumping System designed for trace metal studies is described. The objective of the development is to provide a system which can be used to deliver continuous water samples from depths up to 50 meters to a shipboard chemistry laboratory for near real-time analysis of trace metal pollutants. The system consists of a towed body, a two-part cable assembly, a control and monitoring console, and shipboard handling equipment. All components of the system that contact the sampled water are Teflon to help reduce trace metal contamination. The system is portable and can be easily deployed using equipment found on most oceanographic vessels. The flexibility of the design suggests that it may be a valuable tool for other ocean survey and pollution monitoring applications.