Describe Diatom Test and enumerate its limitations.
The diatom test is a forensic method to confirm ante-mortem drowning. Diatoms are microscopic algae with silica walls, present in natural waters. During drowning, diatoms enter the lungs, cross pulmonary circulation, and reach distant organs like bone marrow, liver, kidneys, and brain. Extraction and microscopic identification, especially from bone marrow, supports drowning diagnosis.
Limitations: False positives may arise from ingestion, wounds, or post-mortem contamination; false negatives occur in rapid or dry drowning or in diatom-poor waters. Diatoms’ ubiquity complicates linking to a specific site. The test is labor-intensive, costly, and requires expertise, with high contamination risk during sample collection and processing.
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