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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hi Tonya,<br>
<br>
this depends on the quality of your tap water; if your tap water
uses chemicals such as Cl2 or others for purification, or such
chemicals are used occasionally in the pipe system to prevent
microbial growth, you should test your water first or request this
data from your local water supplier. Also, if your tap water is
known to have low ion-loads (e.g. because of respective filters or
other mechanical purification by your water supplier), the desired
effect might be marginal.<br>
<br>
What Simon describes is sedimentation (mainly) of carbonates; if
you use tap water, the mixture needs to rest for one day until the
alcohol can be used, because the shifts in the solubility
equilibrium will cause precipitation of ions.<br>
<br>
If these are mainly carbonates (cf. data of your local water
supplier), that the minerals can be suited to stabilise the
specimens inside jars or to buffer against pH-shift. However, we
know little about the ion activity of hydrogen-ions in alcohol
mixtures and their effect on pH-shifts and measuring of the pH in
alcohol mixtures is a tricky task (the only reliable way would be
titration).<br>
<br>
On the other hand, distilled or bi-distilled water attracts CO2
from the surrounding air and leads to pH values of 5 or lower in
freshly distilled water.<br>
<br>
So there are pros and cons. We have very good and pure tap water
here in our museum, and I have been using tap water for nearly 20
years without any negative results. <br>
<br>
Hope this helps<br>
Dirk<br>
<br>
<br>
Am 27.09.2018 um 18:43 schrieb Simon Moore:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Tonya, I have found it okay to use tap
for diluting formalin whereas alcohol produces a precipitate
with tap so I use deionised or RO for diluting alcohol.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best, Simon </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sent from my Windows 10 device</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div
style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid
#E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border:none;padding:0cm"><b>From:
</b><a href="mailto:Tonya.Haff@csiro.au"
moz-do-not-send="true">Tonya.Haff@csiro.au</a><br>
<b>Sent: </b>27 September 2018 03:31<br>
<b>To: </b><a href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu"
moz-do-not-send="true">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Nhcoll-l] What water to use with spirit
specimens</p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU">Hello all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU">I’ve been thinking about the best water to use
for diluting ETOH down to 70% for storing formalin-preserved
vertebrates. Early on I was taught to only every use
deionised water, to avoid the introduction of other
chemicals, impurities, etc. However, I have recently heard
that using good quality tap water may be in fact better than
deionised/demineralised water, as deionised water is not in
a stable state and so can in fact pull minerals out of the
specimen. I would love to hear what other people use and
what your thoughts may be on this. Thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU">Tonya<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">---------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">Dr Tonya Haff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">Collections Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">Australian National Wildlife Collection<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">Canberra, Australia <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"
lang="EN-AU">Phone: (+61) 02 62421566<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"
lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<br>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Dirk Neumann
Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
*new email: neumann(a)snsb.de*
Postanschrift:
Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Storage
Münchhausenstr. 21
81247 München
Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a>
---------
Dirk Neumann
Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
*new email: neumann(a)snsb.de*
postal address:
Bavarian Natural History Collections
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Storage
Muenchhausenstr. 21
81247 Munich (Germany)
Visit our section at:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/">http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/</a>
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