How do you clean your jars, nets etc. that you use for collecting and keeping samples from the wild? How do you keep your samples and dispose of ones that are no longer needed?
I want to submit observations (zooplankton and phytoplankton and protozoa) on iNaturalist and wish to take care, so that I don't accidentally contaminate samples or transfer species from one collection site to another.
Cleaning collection equipment and keeping samples uncontaminated
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karhukainen
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Sun May 03, 2020 3:44 pm
Re: Cleaning collection equipment and keeping samples uncontaminated
Hello, use one-time only ( if your keenly concerned about habitat transfers) wide-mouth plastic bottles..after these square shaped containers are empty of their: rice, bird seed, fish foods contents.
Your small field net can be rinsed in pour of boiling water once your back to your home bench. 7oz paper cups, and plastic bulb pipets can be used one time only..or as I do..flushed with tap water after use..then flushed with alcohol.
If you are dealing with invasive species ..one time only use of your bulb pipets. Aggressive water flushes, followed by alcohol flushes of glass pipets, and 7oz paper cup water holder discarded after a session at the bench .
I reuse the square wide mouth containers for my repeat collections from the group of habitats I nurture, and enjoy microscopy with. charlie g
My outdoor and indoor plants are the recipients of samples I am finished with. I do have one canning jar held on a slant..a microcosm with moss, duckweed, soil benthos..into this culture..I flush enjoyable protists and meiofauna from
a wetmount slide when I am finished observing that slide. I've had this microcosm culture for decades...time to time I sample this culture.
Your small field net can be rinsed in pour of boiling water once your back to your home bench. 7oz paper cups, and plastic bulb pipets can be used one time only..or as I do..flushed with tap water after use..then flushed with alcohol.
If you are dealing with invasive species ..one time only use of your bulb pipets. Aggressive water flushes, followed by alcohol flushes of glass pipets, and 7oz paper cup water holder discarded after a session at the bench .
I reuse the square wide mouth containers for my repeat collections from the group of habitats I nurture, and enjoy microscopy with. charlie g
My outdoor and indoor plants are the recipients of samples I am finished with. I do have one canning jar held on a slant..a microcosm with moss, duckweed, soil benthos..into this culture..I flush enjoyable protists and meiofauna from
a wetmount slide when I am finished observing that slide. I've had this microcosm culture for decades...time to time I sample this culture.