Diagnostic Laboratory Section

FLOATATION TECHNIQUE

• Separating the eggs from faecal debris by floating them on a variety of floatation solutions such as
  • Saturated common salt solution
  • Sheather's Sugar solution
  • Zinc sulphate solution (32.5%) .
• When faeces are emulsified in liquids of high specific gravity than that of eggs and protozoan cysts, either centrifuged or allowed to stand, these float to the top while the heavy coarse debris settles to the bottom.
• The top film can then be removed and examined. Many nematode and a few cestode eggs float in a liquid with a specific gravity between 1.10 and 1.20. Trematode eggs, which are much heavier require a specific gravity of 1.30-1.35.