Weighing analytical performance and sustainability: a comparative study of manual and automated microextraction by packed sorbent for food contaminant evaluation.

Microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) has shown promising analytical performance in evaluating contaminants within food samples. Despite significant advancements in transitioning from manual to automated MEPS systems, the literature lacks comprehensive evaluations of the environmental impacts relative to the analytical performance of these approaches. Therefore, this study compares the analytical performance and environmental impact of manual and automated MEPS protocols for evaluating pesticides and antibiotics in food matrices. Results showed excellent linearity for all analytes in both approaches (R > 0.9900), with low limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) ranging from 0.020 to 0.045 µg L⁻ and 0.045 to 1.0 µg L⁻ for pesticides, respectively, and from 5 to 15 µg L⁻ and 15 to 20 µg L⁻ for antibiotics in the manual approach. The automated approach yielded LOD and LOQ values between 0.010 and 0.25 µg pesticides and 0.5 and 10 µg L⁻ for antibiotics. Trueness values were between 82 and 109% for the manual method and 91% for the automated process. In the final application, both methods identified and quantified pesticides and antibiotics in corn, tomato, and milk samples. A comprehensive comparison of their analytical performance was conducted, and the environmental impacts of both protocols were evaluated using the AGREEprep analytical tool, which underscored their respective advantages and limitations. This study provides a balanced perspective on the analytical and environmental implications of both manual and automated MEPS approaches, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of each strategy's impact.