1 Key Laboratory of Resources Conversion and Pollution Control of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Resources and Environment, South-Central MinZu University, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
2 Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Energy Materials Chemistry of Ministry of Education & Hubei Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials Science, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, South-Central MinZu University, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
3 Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G1M8, Canada.
4 Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecological Remediation, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China.
5 Key Laboratory of Resources Conversion and Pollution Control of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Resources and Environment, South-Central MinZu University, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G1M8, Canada. Electronic address: kechen@mail.scuec.edu.cn.

Non-electrically driven samplers, commonly known as passive samplers, are widely used in surface water monitoring to determine the Time-Weighted Average Concentration (C_TWA) of contaminants. In this study, we developed an evaporation-driven sampling system and methodology, comprising an Evaporation-Driven Sampler (EDS) for sampling and its standard version (Std-EDS) for measuring the sampling rate (R_S). The EDS consists of a filter, tubes, a SPE-like (Solid Phase Extraction) device, a central pipe, towels, and floats. Sampling in this system is driven by the continuous evaporation from the towels. The Std-EDS incorporates the same key structure as the EDS, enabling the R_S to be measured through straightforward weight change. In a 14-day experiment, the device demonstrated an R_S of 281 mL/d, which is about tenfold higher than that of the Diffusive Gradients in Thin films (DGT) method. R_S can be easily adjusted, from tens to hundreds of mL per day by varying the area of towels, highlighting the system's versatility and broad applicability to environmental condition. Additionally, R_S is dominantly controlled by ambient evaporation, as confirmed by a strong linear correlation (R² = 0.98, n = 30). This establishes evaporation as the key environmental factor governing the sampling process. Field validation confirmed that the EDS/Std-EDS accurately tracked heavy metal concentrations in surface water, yielding an average recovery of 70.7%. Further study demonstrated stability and performance comparable to grab sampling and conventional passive methods like DGT. In summary, the EDS and Std-EDS is a flexible and reliable sampling system, showing potential for environmental monitoring.