A Review on Significance of Diatoms in Drowning Cases

Abstract

The review paper "A review on significance of diatoms in drowning cases" delves at the critical function that diatoms play in forensic investigations, particularly when it comes to deaths caused by drowning. Determining the cause of death and making a diagnosis of drowning, a type of asphyxia brought on by immersion in water or another fluid, can be difficult. Diatoms, photosynthesising algae with skeletons made of silica, have become an important source of evidence for drowning deaths. The report emphasises the value of diatoms as supporting evidence that can be used to distinguish between post-mortem submersion and ante-mortem drowning. Effective extraction strategies for diatom recovery from tissue samples are addressed, including the novel Lefort aqua regia approach and acid digestion procedures. The identification of the drowning site depends critically on the qualitative and quantitative examination of diatoms in organ samples and their comparison with those from the drowning medium. It is emphasised that the diatom test is a vital instrument in forensic science that makes it possible to distinguish drowning victims from other causes of death. Diatoms are quite useful in situations of advanced breakdown because they are resistant to putrefaction. The analysis also discusses prospective applications for the future, including the employment of cutting-edge technologies to detect diatoms in forensic cases. The research concludes by highlighting the crucial function that diatoms play in forensic investigations of drowning cases. Specifically, diatom samples are carefully analysed and compared to confirm drowning deaths and pinpoint the drowning site.