The chemical composition of interstitial waters of modern sediments must be known for a greater understanding of early diagenetic changes. In order to get an accurate idea of the chemical composition a method for extraction must be practical, adaptable to shipboard use, and avoid leaching or evaporation. A modified filter press was built of stainless steel, in which a piston, either manually or gas-driven, expresses water from a cake of sediment through a filter paper backed by a stainless steel screen and a solid steel plate drilled with many holes. The bottom of the squeezer is a shallow funnel that delivers the sample directly to the storage bottle. The squeezer is adaptable for use with inert atmospheres such as Ar.

The modified filter press effectively extracts interstitial water from modern sediments, providing accurate chemical composition data for understanding early diagenetic changes.

A squeezer for extracting interstitial water from modern sediments

Key Takeaway: The modified filter press effectively extracts interstitial water from modern sediments, providing accurate chemical composition data for understanding early diagenetic changes.