A Moka-like Extraction Method for Emerging Contaminants Analysis in Antarctic Marine Sediments

The analysis of marine sediments represents a fundamental approach for assessing anthropogenic pressures on aquatic environments. Marine sediments act as long-term sinks for a wide range of contaminants which can accumulate within sediment and subsequently be released into the water column [1]. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward emerging contaminants (ECs), a heterogeneous group of chemicals that are not yet regulated but are of growing environmental concern due to their persistence and potential ecological effects [2,3]. Traditionally, the extraction of contaminants from sediments relies on well-established techniques, including ultrasonic bath extraction. While effective, these methods are generally characterised by high solvent consumption, long extraction times and limited flexibility in the adjustment of key parameters [1]. Consequently, there is a growing interest in developing alternative extraction strategies that are efficient and resource conscious. In this context, devices originally designed for everyday use can be repurposed for analytical applications. Domestic coffee makers, such as the Moka pot, enable solid-liquid-vapor extraction under elevated temperatures and moderately high pressures [4]. However, conventional Moka pots offer limited control over extraction conditions. To address this limitation, the present study explores the application of a Moka-like coffee machine, Kamira, which allows greater control over the extraction parameters [5]. A comparative evaluation of three extraction techniques (ultrasound-assisted, Moka-pot and Kamira-based extraction) was performed using Antarctic marine sediment samples. The comparison demonstrated that the Kamira method achieved better results and was subjected to optimisation. A mixture process design was applied to optimise both process and mixture variables. A total of 28 experiments were carried out, revealing that mixture variables were generally more influential (optimal conditions 85:15 MeOH-H2O). These results highlight the innovative potential of repurposed domestic devices as rapid, low-cost and effective tools for environmental analysis, offering a promising strategy to monitor ECs in remote ecosystems such as polar regions. References [1] Kuznetsova, O. V., Timerbaev, A. R. Anal. Chim. Acta 1209, (2022) [2] Khan, S. et al. Environ. Res. 207, 112609 (2022) [3] Lowther, N. Univ. Canterbury Thesis Arch. 1–16 (2014) [4] Baglietto, M. et al. Adv. Sample Prep. 10, 100110 (2024) [5] Santoro, N. Kamira Espresso Cremoso. https://www.espressokamira.net/