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Abstract

The study addressed the application of the diatom test in the forensic determination of drowning incidents. The aim was to assess its effectiveness and compare extraction methods based on related scientific publications. Three methods were discussed: acidic extraction, Microwave Digestion-Vacuum Filtration-Automated Scanning Electron Microscopy (MD-VF Auto SEM), and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Acidic extraction stood out for its simplicity and low cost (72% usage rate among selected scientific publications in this study), while MD-VF Auto SEM proved to be efficient but more complex and costly, and PCR was effective, particularly in cases with few diatoms. The presence of diatoms in lungs and distant organs indicated drowning, correlated with alveolar-capillary rupture. Smaller diatoms more easily traverse this barrier. The tests demonstrated high efficacy in typical drowning cases, varying, however, in post-mortem immersions and locations with few diatoms. Careful selection of the extraction method, contamination prevention, and consideration of drowning circumstances were emphasized for more accurate analyses. The study highlights the relevance of the test as a reliable approach in forensic analysis of drowning cases.

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