Method for collecting spores from a mold

Patent · 01 January 1977

OSTI ID:862915

Au, Frederick H. F. ^[1]; Beckert, Werner F ^[1]

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1. Las Vegas, NV

A technique and apparatus used therewith for determining the uptake of plutonium and other contaminants by soil microorganisms which, in turn, gives a measure of the plutonium and/or other contaminants available to the biosphere at that particular time. A measured quantity of uncontaminated spores of a selected mold is added to a moistened sample of the soil to be tested. The mixture is allowed to sit a predetermined number of days under specified temperature conditions. An agar layer is then applied to the top of the sample. After three or more days, when spores of the mold growing in the sample have formed, the spores are collected by a miniature vacuum collection apparatus operated under preselected vacuum conditions, which collect only the spores with essentially no contamination by mycelial fragments or culture medium. After collection, the fungal spores are dried and analyzed for the plutonium and/or other contaminants. The apparatus is also suitable for collection of pollen, small insects, dust and other small particles, material from thin-layer chromatography plates, etc.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, Nev. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(26-1)-539
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4046593
• OSTI ID: 862915
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/73/15/55/95/96/134/435/
added
agar
allowed
analyzed
apparatus
applied
available
biosphere
chromatography
collect
collected
collecting
collection
collection apparatus
conditions
contaminants
contaminants available
contamination
culture
culture medium
days
determining
dried
dust
essentially
etc
formed
fragments
fungal
growing
insects
layer
material
measure
measured
medium
method
microorganisms
miniature
mixture
moistened
mold
mycelial
operated
particles
particular
particular time
plates
plutonium
pollen
predetermined
preselected
preselected vacuum
quantity
sample
selected
sit
soil
soil microorganisms
specified
specified temperature
spores
suitable
technique
temperature
temperature conditions
tested
therewith
thin-layer
thin-layer chromatography
time
top
uncontaminated
uptake
vacuum
vacuum conditions