Citation

Wang YZ, Zhao J, Li P, Hu SL, Wang HP, Wang HJ, Liu C. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 2015; 35(3): 427-431.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.E-mail: 519720474@qq.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Nanfang yi ke da xue xue bao bian ji bu)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

25818794

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of three methods for forensic diatom test, namely strong acid digestion-centrifuge enrichment-light microscopy (SD-CE-LM), microwave digestion-membrane filtration-automated scanning electron microscopy (MD-ME-SEM), and microwave digestion-membrane filtration-light microscopy (MD-MF-LM).

METHODS: Sixty samples were randomly divided into 3 groups for diatom test using three methods, and the sample preparation time, degree of digestion and recovery rate of diatoms were compared.

RESULTS: The sample preparation time was the shortest with MD-MF-LM and the longest with SD-CE-LM (P<0.05). MD-ME-SEM and MD-MF-LM allowed more thorough tissue digestion than SD-CE-LM. MD-ME-SEM resulted in the highest total recovery rate of diatom, followed by MD-MF-LM and then by SD-CE-LM (P<0.05); the recover rate of different diatom species was the highest with MD-ME-SEM, followed by MD-MF-LM and SD-CE-LM (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: SD-CE-LM has a low recovery rate of diatoms especially for those with lengths shorter than 40 µm or densities less than 1/5. With a high recovery rate and accuracy in diatom test, MD-ME-SEM is suitable for diagnosis of suspected drowning cases. MD-MF-LM is highly efficient, sensitive and convenient for forensic diatom test.

Language: zh