Abstract

The recent revival of the coffee industry in Puerto Rico necessitates addressing caffeine-related issues. The project aims to develop tools for quickly quantifying caffeine concentration near coffee production sites. The production of biopolymeric membranes capable of removing caffeine will be used to test the impact of caffeine and related compounds on aquatic species. Biopolymers like chitosan, cellulose, and lignin are cost-effective, biocompatible, and renewable. They are ideal candidates for applications in aquatic ecosystems, including caffeine removal. Reverse osmosis has been used to detect and remove caffeine from various sources (e.g., tea and coffee). Titanium dioxide nanocomposites, such as those with chitosan and cellulose, exhibit biocompatible properties and can degrade caffeine through photocatalysis. The study uses zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model aquatic species. Zebrafish embryos exposed to varying caffeine concentrations (under five ppm) significantly affected hatching and mortality. The biopolymeric membranes developed will be tested in embryo water to ensure they are nontoxic to the animals.