An improved preparation procedure for pollen samples from coastal clastic sediments

Palynological analysis is a time-tested analytical method in the field of geology, geography, and archaeology across the globe. However, a major problem in palynology is that due to the dynamic nature of coastal and lake settings, sediment samples from these environments usually contain large proportion of clastic materials that are difficult to remove and isolate from pollen grains. In this study, we present a step-by-step procedure of an optimized preparation method to eliminate the organic and clastic materials and concentrate the pollen grains. We also present some insights on how to prepare a clean microscopic slide with intact pollen grains. We believe this procedure can successfully eliminate organic and clastic materials and concentrate the pollen grains to produce an ideal microscopic slide for pollen analysis.•Extract samples and eliminate carbonate materials with hydrochloric acid.•Remove organic materials with potassium hydroxide.•Remove clastic materials with sieving and hydrofluoric acid.