Cleaning

This section contains various links and downloads to a variety of cleaning and mounting techniques.

WARNING - The use of strong acids and corrosive chemicals is extremely dangerous and should never be undertaken by persons not qualified or lacking the experience to use them safely. Personal protection equipment should be worn at all times during the oxidising stages of diatom cleaning.

Diatom cleaning - various techniques
A paper in two parts on 'How to prepare diatom samples' by Frithjof A.S. Sterrenberg and 'Processing of fossil diatomite' by Stephen Nagy
cleandiatoms.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document [27.8 KB]
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Working with Diatoms
An excellent guide to mounting by James Solliday
Mounting-diatoms.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document [236.2 KB]
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DIATOMS: CLEANING AND MOUNTING FOR LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
GRETHE R. HASLE and GRETA A. FRYXELL OCTOBER 1970
Diatoms Cleaning Mounting Hasle Fryxe
Adobe Acrobat Document [992.1 KB]
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A METHOD FOR CLEANING DIATOM SAMPLES AND THE PREPARATION OF SELECT AND STREWN MOUNTS by Stuart R. Stidolph

Procedures are given for the preliminary preparation of bulky samples, cleaning recent and fossil diatomaceous material, and the preparation of select and strewn diatom slides.

Cleaning of sediment samples and preparation of diatom slides using Naphrax

Well detailed protocol with excellent safety notes.

Preparation and Method of Study of Fossil Diatoms
Three methods of cleaning and one of preparing strew slides are discussed
fossil_diatoms.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document [616.3 KB]
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A Guide to the Extraction of Fossil Diatoms from Lithified or Partially Consolidated Sediments

Cleaning using bleach

A less aggressive and possibly safer cleaning technique
A Simple, Inexpensive Method for Cleanin
Adobe Acrobat Document [798.4 KB]
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A gentle protocol using household bleach as detailed by Melinda Stees

Another detailed article (in Italian) on this technique here