POSTER SESSION 2
10:30–12:30, Tuesday, September 15
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
ABSTRACT 1105 | POSTER 38
HOW GREEN IS YOUR CHLOROPHYLL-A? BENCHMARKING THE GREENNESS OF LC METHODS FOR PHYTOPLANKTON PIGMENT ANALYSIS IN OCEAN COLOR APPLICATIONS
Phytoplankton pigments—such as chlorophylls and carotenoids—are key biomarkers for interpreting marine bio-optical properties and for the calibration and validation (cal/val) of satellite ocean color products. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) remains the reference method for pigment analysis, however conventional protocols rely on hazardous solvents and energy-intensive procedures, conflicting with sustainability objectives. So how green are our chlorophyll-a data?
This study benchmarks twelve representative chromatographic methods for phytoplankton pigment analysis, focusing on their relevance to ocean color cal/val, bio-optical algorithm development and intercomparison exercises. Environmental performance was evaluated using a multi-metric Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) framework combining complementary indicators of (i) solvent toxicity (e.g., ChlorTox), (ii) analytical efficiency and waste (Eco-Scale, AMGS), (iii) holistic greenness (AGREE, AGREEprep), and (iv) workflow and methodological complexity (ComplexMoGAPI, BAGI, RGB-12).
Results indicate a shift toward greener methodologies. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) achieved the highest greenness scores across the majority of applied metrics while maintaining strong analytical performance. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), though less widely implemented and currently limited in compound coverage, shows promise due to reduced solvent toxicity.nHowever, constraints related to sample preservation, filtration-based extraction, and batch processing for quality assurance limit full alignment with Green Analytical Chemistry principles. Differences among GAC evaluation tools highlight the need for multi-metric assessment, with AGREEprep capturing sample preparation impacts and ChlorTox, BAGI, and RGB-12 providing complementary perspectives.
These findings support the adoption of greener solvents, UPLC-based workflows, and Design of Experiments optimization strategies to reduce environmental impact while ensuring high-quality, intercomparable pigment datasets for ocean color applications.
Elisabetta Canuti, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4357-8203
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
