A number of you e-mailed me after I asked if anyone knew of a source of
spore marker-grain tablets for spiking pollen samples. One was Björn
Berglund, who said he hoped to have a new manufacturer soon, and if the
tablets were satisfactory, Lund University would be able to supply marker
tablets again.
On 5 July 1994, I received a FAX from Thomas Persson, the text of which
I reproduce below:
INFORMATION ON SPORE TABLETS
Lycopodium spore tablets (batch 124961)
Lycopodium spore tablets can be dissolved in water or in HCl, but not in NaOH. They have been prepared in a slightly different way compared to that described by Stockmarr (1971, 1973). The tablets are thus based mainly on sodium bicarbonate together with polyvinylpyrilidon and polyethyleneglycol, which must be carefully washed away with water and finally with diluted HCl before further treatment. The spores are acetolysed.
The spore concentration has been determined with an electronic particle counter, Coulter Counter ZB (cf. Stockmarr 1973), tube size 140 æm. One hundred samples of five tablets each taken from different places in the batch were prepared by dissolving the tablets in Isoton II NaCl solution in 100 ml flasks. Twenty counts each of 0.5 ml were made on each sample.
Result: X = 62,712; s = + 3.3%
For one tablet: X = 12,542
Production, Distribution and Payment
Spore tablets for calibration of pollen analyses have earlier been produced and distributed by Dr. Jens Stockmarr, Copenhagen. In October 1980 this business was taken over by the Laboratory of Quaternary Biology at the Department of Quaternary Geology in Lund. It is performed as an official commission approved by the University of Lund. A new batch, No. 124961, is now produced and calibrated and tablets are available.
The tablets are manufactured by Dansk Droge Import A/S, Ishøj, Danmark.
Lycopodium tablets will be distributed in plastic bottles with 500
tablets per bottle. The price is, in Swedish currency, SEK 150/bottle
(500 tablets), plus postage. (US$ 1 ~ SEK 8)
Examples of current postage (airmail/surface mail):
U.K., Germany: 500-5000 tabl. SEK 130/117;
5500-10,000 tabl. SEK 150/129.
USA, Canada: 500-5000 tabl. SEK 160/123;
5500-10,000 tabl. SEK 210/141.
South-America: 500-5000 tabl. SEK 175/135;
5500-10,000 tabl. SEK 240/155.
Australia: 500-5000 tabl. SEK 210/135;
5500-10,000 tabl. SEK 310/165
Surface mail is often very slow. If you do not specifically request
surface mail on your order, we will send it airmail.
A university invoice will be sent separately to the receiver of the tablets or to the purchase office. Please, follow the instructions for payment given on the invoice.
Please note that production and distribution of tablets is done at cost price, which makes it necessary to reduce administration to a minimum. Therefore, the machinery of payment must be as simple as possible - so, please, follow our instructions and try not to impose too many administrative duties on us, which will only result in delayed deliveries.
Björn Berglund and Thomas Persson
Suggested order form:
To: Lund University, Department of Quaternary Geology, Tornavägen 13, S-223 63 LUND, Sweden
We order ___________ tablets of Lycopodium spores
Name ______________________________
Address ___________________________