Dear Listmembers,

A colleague has collected numerous samples of freshwater phytoplankton, and
is interested in analyzing them for d15N and d13C.  He preserved them with
1% Lugol's solution, a mixture of distilled water, potassium iodide, iodine,
and glacial acetic acid.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Can
these samples simply be washed and dried for analysis?  Or is there concern
about any organic matter loss due to the relatively low pH of the solution?
Some of the samples have been stored like this for years, others were
collected more recently.

Thanks very much.

Sharon Billings

________________________________________________________________________
Sharon Billings
Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Assistant Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
University of Kansas
2101 Constant Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66047
785-864-1560 (office)
785-864-1536 (lab)
785-864-1500 (front office)
http://www.kbs.ku.edu/people/staff_www/billings