Comparison between modified LST Fastfloat and conventional HF methods for pollen preparation in highly minerogenic sediments

Pollen analysis is a commonly used method to interpret vegetation and environmental change. The standard pollen preparation technique in minerogenic sediments involves the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) which highly toxic. Currently European legislation requires that hazardous chemicals should be substituted with less or non-toxic if possible. In present paper authors introduce safer method, based on low-toxic heavy liquid lithium heteropoly-tungstate (LST Fastfloat) provide instructions for LSTFastflow method. Furthermore, five paired samples were processed from clayey silty LST Fastfloat conventional HF methods spore counting results obtained these two compared test there statistically significant differences between taxa. Calculation 95% confidence interval revealed statistical agreement all studied taxa except one taxon sample pair. However, study systematic within taxa, Betula Pinus. Thus caution needed when comparing by methods.