Growing Algae and Then Exposing Them to Gamma Rays.

Hi, readers I am growing algae and determining if Uranium ore emitted gamma, beta, and alpha (but in this case, the gamma rays will only be the rays entering the glass that actually increases the growth of the Algae. I don't have a CO2 meter and they are very expensive nor do I have a Spectrometer to break down the algae and analysis the exact concentration of Algae present.

However, I do have a Jewelry scale and a Centrifuge after 3-4 days compared to the control I took samples. On the third day, I had a big growth of Algae. I was successful at growing algae even if need to refill the liquid with dilute samples of the medium.

Warning: Radioactive materials are dangerous Only if misused. I may do the same thing with 2.8 g of Thorite ore that I bought. It heaver in Thorium and Uranium (Th, U)SO4. It is a silicon salt of both thorium and Uranium so I shall see if it also can enhance the growth of the algae.

Some of these chemicals are quite toxic (sodium formate) for example or Diammonia Phosphate salt.

Alcohol lamps are flammable be very careful when working with them. Fire safety protocols must be in place. I use a microscope led type 40-1000x plus Oil immersion to see the Algae. However, 250x to 1000x (without Oil Immersion) for Algae is normally fine.

Chemicals:

Ph buffers (pH 4, 6.86, and 9.18).

KCl (4 moles per L buffer solution Storage for Ph meter.

Iron ferrocyanide salt or Iron ammonia sulfate (Never both--- will form Prussian blue.

Potassium nitrate or Potassium chloride and Ammonium Phosphate (NH4)2HPO4.

Sodium formate.

Non-chlorinated/ chloramine water *!*!

Materials:

Glass Coke bottles 231 ml. Empty and sterilized.

Alcohol lamp with (Ethanol, Isoproponal or Butanol***).

LED or Halogen Microscope that has 4x, 10x, and 40x plus 100x times 2.5 eyepiece magnification.

Water Aquarium air pumps (Amazon, eBay).

pH meter for Medium.

pH paper. Optional

Alcohol swabs.

Led Grow light.

Uranium or Thorite Ore.

Clamps and rod support.

12 inch by 12 inch Marble title to fit (over hotplate/magnetic stirrer) for support.

Tube hoses for Water Aquarium. Fit into glass bottles.

Centrifuge tubes 20 ml (2 of them). Amazon.

Jewelry scale.

Spoons.

Centrifuge that can reach 0-4000 RPM and time 0-60 seconds.

Microbiology sample:

Algae (Brown Algae mix).

We add a package of pH buffers (Each package contains enough for 250 ml of distilled water).

In a clean 250 ml breaker, we add roughly 250 ml of distilled water to each buffer pH 4.00, 6.86, and 9.18. If you have Unversial indicator to give the buffers a color that is good too. Also label your beakers with a marker (pH 4.00, 6.86, and 9.18). The universal indicator is a good way to determine which one you have (buffer).

Calibrate the pH meters by putting the pH meter into a clean beaker of water (distilled) and pressing calibrates on the pH meter once you have in the pH 4.00 buffer solution. It should say for most going to 6.86 pH. then 9.18. Carefully rinse the solution buffer with a bottle spray of distilled water over a sink. Then place it in the 6.86 pH buffer solution. Rinse off and spray with DH20 "Distilled Water". Place the pH meter into a buffer 9.18 solution.

Here is how to calibrate and use a pH meter youtube video that shows good results.

The instructions depend on your pH meter, Mine said cal 4.00, 6.86, and 9.18 pH). In that order.

We need a good scale and a pH meter for this to work. The solution with sodium formate will be 7.80 to 8 pH Basic.

In 1 L beaker add 1 L of water weigh Out 2 g of Diammonium Phosphate with spoons and weighing scales, Iron ferrocyanide, or Iron ammonia sulfate (Never mix both it will form into an Undesired Prussian blue pigment). Then add 1 g of Sodium formate and 2 g of Potassium chloride. Stir and heat for 1 hr at 60 degrees C. Allow the solution to cool to 20 degrees C.

The Algae need a 1/10 stock solution of this. For a 230 ml, we add 20 ml of this sample to 200 ml of distilled no ozone, no chlorine, etc type water. Boiling water down in a beaker on low heat and high stirring for a few hours at a time and putting the water into a bottle (Plastic bottle) will work very well. I did this for two bottles (Coke bottles) with hoses and the pump. Before you do this clean the pump tubes with Alcohol swabs of 75% alcohol (Ethanol or Isoproponal type) or higher.

We place the air pumps hoses in the two tubes at first and we put a white or black marker on the bottle so we know what to fill (I recommend clamping down some of the coke bottles) and using a funnel or pipette (glass 10 ml) to add more liquid to the vessels (A semi bioreactor). Even on low, the pump will drain the liquid by evaporation quite quickly. 5-10 ml per day so u must refill with distilled water (No chloramine or chlorine as this will slow down or kill your algae.).

When cleaning the algae tubes you can also use an Alcohol lamp with (Ethanol, Isopropyl alcohol, or butanol) I used butanol it was a bit too potent. :)

Then we use an Alcohol lamp for 1 minute about 3-4 inches above the Iron mesh (Recommended). I bought this alcohol lamp from a old chemistry set on eBay.

We can use a hotplate to heat the slide a few cm away from the Heat source and wear disposable gloves. Be aware that the flame source is more efficient and you should use that method to heat up the slides and then wipe the soot off the slide bottom. The flame can reach over 100 deg C in seconds so 10-20 seconds for the burner (Alcohol lamp) is recommended.

The hotplate method did not work very well. I would stick with the flame slide.

Then Insert the cooled slide at 4x time 25 = 100, 10 x times 25 = 250, and so On Until you reach 100x oil immersion and place cedar oil (a few drops onto it). An option is to use nail polish and let it dry for half a day if the slides are coming off too early.

We use kim wipes and swabs with 75%+ Ethanol, or other alcohol to clean the microscope eye piece and lenses.

This is another simple way to do this with slides. Make slides for Algae.

Expect I did not use a centrifuge and the Powerful LED light recorded the LUX at 6000 lux a bit overkill. This Photobleached the Algae.

We use a 7 by 7 hotplate with a Mirror and put aluminum foil to protect the hotplate then we get a 12-inch by 12-inch marble tile to support up to 4 bottles.

We put in the hoses once the ethanol has been cleaned and we rinse it off and let them air dry without being contaminated. We insert the tubes half way into the liquid (200 ml of the Pop bottle). 1 coke bottle can allow 237 ml but we don't go past 210 ml of sample.

Since the light is very bright we need to wait 3 to 5 days to see results.

https://www.amazon.ca/Mutois-Spectrum-Vegetables-G...

They no longer sell the model i was looking for but i can show a replacement. 5000-6000 lux near the lamp is recommended.

Place the tubes of the sample that you are growing (1 at 3 days) and place water into the tube up to 20 ml seal the tube (Centrifuge tube). A centrifuge will have 6 slots. Make sure the slots for the tube tubes are slot 1 and Slot 4. if you don't then the centrifuge even at 2500 RPM will shift and it can be dangerous. A small pellet will from when you take the sample from the bottom 20 ml for each tube, times 2.

Here is a video on how to work a Centrifuge.

We weigh the samples of the centrifuge.

Example normal Pellet 8.68 g-8.62 = 0.02 g pellet.

Radiation pellet 8.75-8.62 = 0.13 g pellet.

0.13 g Pellet (Rad)/Normal growth Pellet with light= 6.5 growth.

We place a Pellet close to the third left bottle. The third bottle is a control.

If my calculations are correct the Algae due to the growth of the light plus Radiation grew 6.5 times normal. Now it is not the Radioactive source that did most of the work it only did 2-3 times it is the "Grow light" that is very hard to find now that did it.

It read 2 feet away 5800 to 6000 Lumens. Which is very important.

I have learned it is tricky to grow Alage you need the correct mediums but it can result in Good results.

Others have said I should have stuck to 2500 to 3000 lumens max and turned off the light every 12 of the 24 hrs to prevent "Photobleaching of the Alage" and used a blue-red grow light as I post in the Link.

Thanks, SHOE0007.