Snow sample lab processing
Filtering samples for Kiowa lab
Materials list
- Thawed snow samples in their nalgene bottles
- A data entry spreadsheet that includes their sample numbers and a place to enter notes, sample bottle tare weights, and sample weights.
- This can be derived from the sample log
- 3 250ml Filter flasks (Erlenmeyer type with sideport)
- 2 Millipore filters
- 47mm Nuclepore filter membranes
- 2 vacuum hoses
- Clean 125ml nalgenes
- Labeling tape
- Sharpie
Filtration procedure
- Thaw samples
- Put on clean gloves, and change them often
- Set up a clean lab bench:
- Clean all filter flasks with soap, and give them a good rinse in DI water.
- Clean both Millipore filters.
- Rinse rubber stoppers
- Lay out clean lab mats (2) across the bench.
- Place Nuclepore membrane on the plate of the Millipore filter.
- Screw the top onto the plate and slide the rubber stopper over the filtrate outlet
- Place the Millipore assembly on the opening of a filter flask.
- Attach the vaccuum hose to the sideport of the flask.
- Turn on the vaccuum about halfway
- Run 120-150 ml of DI water through the filter
- Detach the filter flask, throw this filtrate away, then reattach the flask.
- Turn the vaccuum back on
- Filter roughly 80-100 ml of sample through the filter
- Weigh and label a clean 125ml nalgene with the sample id number
- Also label the original sample nalgene with the sample id number
- Pour the filtered sample from the filter flask into the nalgene
- Weigh the nalgene + sample and record this on the spreadsheet.