A review of the laboratory preparation of palynomorphs with a description of an effective non-acid technique

Abstract

The preparation of palynomorphs for microscopy has traditionally used hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO 3). The use of these acids is both expensive and hazardous. An effective technique of preparation using sodium hexametaphosphate [(NaPO 3) 6 ] has been developed. The cleaned, crushed and softened sample is treated with (NaPO 3) 6. The deflocculated clay is then sieved away and the residue centrifuged. This method has been successfully tested on seven Jurassic to Quaternary sample sets from the United Kingdom (UK) and Antarctica. In five of these sets, the rock/sediment was prepared using the mineral acid technique and the (NaPO 3) 6 procedure. Four of these five sample suites were prepared by both methods quantitatively, so that the concentrations of palynomorphs can be compared. The (NaPO 3) 6 method largely proved to be equally as effective as the mineral acid procedure. The Lower Toarcian Whitby Mudstone Formation of Leicestershire and the Middle and Upper Albian Gault Formation of Kent both produced similar palynomorph/kerogen associations. Some differences between the two procedures were, however, noted. The (NaPO 3) 6 method produced significantly better results than acid preparations for the uppermost Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Antarctica and the Pleistocene Till of northern England. By contrast, the majority of the samples from the in situ late Campanian-early Maastrichtian White Chalk Subgroup of north Norfolk prepared using HCl, were significantly richer in palynomorphs than those treated with (NaPO 3) 6.

Spatial distribution of benthic foraminiferal stable isotopes and dinocyst assemblages in surface sediments of the Trondheimsfjord, central Norway

“…Since high amounts of amorphous organic material (AOM) concealed the cysts as well as their spines and processes we carefully removed any resistant AOM by centrifugation and swirling in a large watch glass. The method relies on density differences between the cysts and the AOM (Riding and Kyffin-Hughes, 2004;L. Londeix, personal communication, 2012).…”

The last glaciation in Caithness, Scotland: revised till stratigraphy and ice-flow paths indicate multiple ice flow phases

“…The palynomorphs are important in lithostratigraphical correlation and for exploring directions of long-distance glacial transport. The allochthonous palynomorph content was extracted through non-acid palynological preparation techniques (Riding and Kyffin-Hughes, 2004). Three slide fractions were prepared from each residue through swirling and heavy liquid separation, representing a light, heavy and centrifuged sub-sample.…”

Spores and Pollen Colour Changes and Thermal Maturation of Mid-Cretaceous Lacustrine Organic-rich Sediments in the Mamfe Basin, S.W. Cameroon

“…1;2018 undertaken. Residues were subsequently sieved and divided into fractions 15-100pm and >100pm (Herngreen et al, 1976);Burger, 1980;Riding andKyffin-Hughes, 2004 andRiding et al, 2007).…”

“…Twenty-nine samples from roadside-cuts and river bank outcrops representing the Nfaitok Member (eastern part of the Mamfe Basin) were collected and analyzed for their palynomorph content following standard palynological techniques (Herngreen et al, 1976;Burger, 1980;Riding andKyffin-Hughes, 2004 andRiding et al, 2007). Visual colour analysis were later carried out on the sporomorphs recovered based on a visual comparison with the Munsell colour standards as suggested by Pearson (1984) in Pross et al, (2007).…”