Sodium polytungstate, a new non-toxic alternative to bromoform in heavy liquid separation
article
Bromoform, one of the most commonly used heavy liquids in palynological preparation, is highly toxic. The alternatives currently in use all have drawbacks. In this study a new non-toxic alternative, sodium polytungstate, has been compared to bromoform. 36 core samples of sandy clay or clayey sand were analysed from boreholes in the eastern Netherlands. Both marine and terrestrial settings are represented. The results show similar sporomorph recovery using both heavy liquids provided that specific gravity 2.1 is used, while surprisingly, dinocyst recovery shows a marked improvement with sodium polytungstate. In particular the variation in dinocysts present in low frequencies increases. When both liquids were tested at a specific gravity of 2.4, the number of sporomorphs decreased while the concentration of other organic matter increased. © 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Topics
TNO Identifier
233649
ISSN
00346667
Source
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 91(1-4), pp. 417-422.
Pages
417-422
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