[NHCOLL-L:4363] how to dissolve and puffer paraformaldehyde in the field?

[Dirk Neumann]

Hi all,

for our next field trip to Africa we are considering to fixate specimens 
with puffered paraformaldehyde solution; to carry cristalline 
paraformaldehyde is onboard of aircraft is  100 % conform with IATA 
regulations and thus avoiding difficulties of liquid formalin solutions 
(to carry solutions with concentrations < / = 10 % is uneffecetive in 
terms of fixations effort per carried quantity).

For puffering, the "Fish Collection Methods and Standards" recommend to 
puffer 16g paraformaldehyde with 4 g anhydrous sodium carbonate and 
dissolve in 400 ml distilled water to have a 10 % buffered formalin 
solution (refers to McAllister, 1965).

Do you have experiences with this method or are there any other methods 
to solve and puffer paraformaldehyde ?

Thanks for your comments & help

Dirk  

-- 
Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
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Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Labor
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81247 München

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---------

Dirk Neumann

Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

postal address:

Bavarian Natural History Collections
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Lab
Muenchhausenstr. 21
81247 Munich (Germany)

Visit our section at:
http://www.zsm.mwn.de/ich/