Several versions of ion sources with closed drift anode layer plasma acceleration (ALPA sources) were built and tested. Robust, "all iron" design and water cooling permeate an unlimited operation with oxygen and with other high reactive gases. Long time operation of discharges in oxygen, nitrogen, argon, water vapor, propane, acetone, ethyl alcohol vapors, and in different gas cocktails has been tested. Beam parameters, generated in discharges with a voltage of V-d=0.3 to 3 kV will be presented. A simple design, only one simple power supply, and the operation without special electron source are advantages of discussed ALPA sources very suitable for many applications. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.