Air sample curiosities
By Tony Saunders-Davies
Some curious objects found by Derek Stevens in an air sample:
These curious objects (arrowed) were found in air samples taken by Derek Stevens in Dorset in 2002. They are 50 to 80 micrometres in diameter.
I wonder if they might be rotifer resting eggs, or something similar?
If anyone can identify them, please write and let us know!
Derek wrote a paper for the Journal in 1999 describing a simple method that he had devised for taking air samples and looking at airborne spores etc.: Quekett Journal of Microscopy (1999), 38, pp 373–376. There is quite a variety of things in the air we breathe, and it is surprising how few people try taking air samples.
Derek found similar objects again in 2006 and 2010, but we still don’t know what they are!
Here are 3 photographs provided by Derek of objects found in 2010 while sampling for airborne pollen:
