Artificial pond water

For the cultivation of Biomphalaria glabrata, Bulinus truncatus and Oncomelania hupensis

Prepare 4 stock solutions:
1. FeCl3 • 6H2O – 0.25 g/liter
2. CaCl2 • 2H2O – 12.9 g/liter
3. MgSO4 • 7H2O – 10 g/liter
4. Phosphate buffer:

  • dissolve 34 g KH2PO4 in 500 ml H2O
  • add approximately 175 mL 1 N NaOH until pH 7.2 is reached
  • add 1.5 g (NH4)2SO4
  • add H20 to 1.0 liter

For 20.0L Pond H2O
10 mL FeCl3 solution
50 mL CaCl2 solution
50 mL MgSO4 solution
25 mL Phosphate buffer

› Bring to 20.0L H2O and mix

For 100.0L SRC barrel of Pond H2O
50mL FeCl3 solution
250mL CaCl2 solution
250mL MgSO4 solution
125mL phosphate buffer

› Bring to 100.0L and mix

Comments
The NIH NIAID Schistosomiasis Resource Center uses an ion exchange resin system (organic, anion, cation and mixed-bed tanks) to generate deionized H2O from Rockville, Maryland tap H2O. The above recipe for “pond H2O” is used to add back select ions. Pond H2O is used in all SRC operations including snail cultivation (‘snail pans’), parasite collection; percutaneous exposure of rodents to cercariae; and the exposure of snails to miracidia.

References
Materials and Methods communicated by: J. Collins, PhD (U of Texas- Southwestern) and P. Newmark, PhD (U of Wisconsin, Madison) by way of D. Williams, PhD (Rush University) and J.L. Bennett, PhD (Michigan State University)