Article

Article name	THE USE OF PROPIONIC ANHYDRIDE IN THE SAMPLE PREPARATION FOR POLLEN ANALYSIS
Authors	Natalia G. Mazei, PhD, Senior Researcher of the Department of Physical Geography and Landscape Science in the Faculty of Geography of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia, 119991, Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, 1); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4759-8703; e-mail: natashamazei@mail.ru Elena Yu. Novenko, Dr.Sc., Leading Researcher of the Department of Physical Geography and Landscape Science in the Faculty of Geography of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia, 119991, Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, 1); Senior Researcher of the Institute of Geography of RAS (119017, Russia, Moscow, Staromonetniy Lane, 29); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4759-8703; e-mail: lenanov@mail.ru
Reference to article	Mazei N.G., Novenko E.Yu. 2021. The use of propionic anhydride in the sample preparation for pollen analysis. Nature Conservation Research 6(3): 110–112. https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2021.036
Section	Research Notes
DOI	https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2021.036
Abstract	Acetolysis is an important stage in the sample treatment for pollen analysis. However, since 1998, acetic anhydride (CH₃CO)₂O, used for the acetolysis solution preparation, refers to precursors which turnover is limited in Russia and its use needs measures for special control. We suggest replacing acetic anhydride with propionic anhydride (CH₃CH₂CO)₂O, for which there are no such limitations. The procedure of sample treatment with propionic anhydride is the same as one with acetic anhydride. Testing an acetolysis procedure using propionic anhydride on peat samples collected in the Kaluzhskie Zaseki State Nature Reserve shows the high efficiency of this chemical agent.
Keywords	acetic anhydride, acetolysis , Kaluzhskie Zaseki State Nature Reserve, palynological analysis, sample treatment
Artice information	Received: 01.03.2021. Revised: 04.06.2021. Accepted: 06.06.2021.
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