Diatom test with Soluene-350 to diagnose drowning in sea water.

The authors tested the Soluene-350 method to detect diatoms in three cases of sea water drowning. The negative results obtained in all three cases prompted us to re-test the method on samples of fresh water and sea water microalgae. The experiment showed that the siliceous frustule of sea water diatoms is solubilized by Soluene-350 while that of fresh water diatoms is resistant to the treatment. The method, which is effective in cases of drowning in fresh water, should therefore be used with caution in sea water drowning.