Diatom detection in the diagnosis of death by drowning

A medicolegal/algological collaboration lasting several years aimed at deve loping methods for dealing with dead bodies found in water where the circum stances are not clear, has led to an interdisciplinary procedure. To enable algological analysis, sample preservation and preparation must be free fro m contamination or carry-over at the beginning of the autopsy, although it should be noted that the demands on the digestion method are very high. One or more water samples from the site of drowning (from surface and bed) sho uld be taken, Microscopicalgological analysis should record quantitative (d iatom density), qualitative (species) and morphological (description of dia tom valves) details for every sample. Furthermore, the species index and do minance identity similarity indices are calculated during the analysis proc edure. The algological conclusions are based primarily on the separation va lues of Kater as well as on pair-matching. The final report is the result o f interdisciplinary collaboration.