Original Article امل ستخل ص كانت لهائمات ملائية ) أحياء دقيقة مائية(
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Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences & Forensic Medicine 2018; Volume 1 Issue (8), 1013-1024 1013 Naif Arab University for Security Sciences Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences & Forensic Medicine www.nauss.edu.sa http://ajfsfm.nauss.edu.sa Effect of Altitudinal and Seasonal Factors on Diatomological Mapping of Waterbodies: Implication in Drowning Investigations تاأثري العوامل املو�سمية واﻻرتفاع عن �سطح البحر على ر�سم خرائط طيف الهائمات املائية: تطبيقات التحقيق يف ق�سايا الغرق 1 2 1, * Amandeep Kaur , Rajvinder Singh , Rajinder Singh Original Article 1 * Department of Forensic Science, Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, Punjab, India. 2 Department of Genetics (Forensic Science Division), Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India. Received 17 May. 2018; Accepted 22 Oct. 2018; Available Online 31 Dec. 2018 امل�ستخل�ص Abstract كانت �لهائمات �ملائية )�أحياء دقيقة مائية( وما تز�ل ًجزء� ً�أ�سا�سيا -Diatoms are an essential part of forensic investigation in drown يف �لتحقيق �جلنائي حلاﻻت �لغرق. وت�ستخدم للتمييز بني �لغرق ما قبل ing cases. They are used to differentiate between ante-mortem and post-mortem drowning and to ascertain the site of drowning. How- �لوفاة و�لغرق ما بعد �لوفاة و�لتاأكد من موقع �لغرق. ومع ذلك، للقيام -ever, to do so it is imperative to perform the diatomological map بذلك، ﻻ بد من �إجر�ء ور�سم خر�ئط لطيف �لهائمات �ملائية مل�سادر ping of water sources in different regions. The issue of localizing �ملاء يف مناطق خمتلفة. وميكن حل م�ساألة حتديد موقع �لغرق مب�ساعدة a drowning site may be resolved with the help of diatomological monitoring and mapping of the water sources, which generates sub- مر�قبة �لهائمات �ملائية ور�سم خر�ئط خا�سة بها للم�سطحات �ملائية ما stantial references for meeting the ‘criterion of concordance’. The ينتج عنه قو�عد بيانات ومر�جع كبرية لتلبية »معيار �لتو�فق«. وقد عملت -present study has generated a database of diatom diversity in rela هذه �لدر��سة على بناء قاعدة بيانات متنوعة من طيف �لهائمات �ملائية .tion to different seasons and altitudes وذلك يف ف�سول �سنة و�رتفاعات خمتلفة عن �سطح �لبحر. مت �أخذ عينات Water sampling was made from low, mid and high altitudes during summer and autumn seasons. Important information was �ملياه من �ﻻرتفاعات �ملنخف�سة و�ملتو�سطة و�لعالية خﻻل مو��سم �ل�سيف found after a microscopic examination of diatoms in water samples و�خلريف. ومت �حل�سول على معلومات هامة من �لفح�ص �ملجهري .from different water bodies at different geographical altitudes للهائمات �ملائية يف عينات �ملياه من مناطق خمتلفة. وقد لوحظ وجود Twenty-seven diatom genera have been observed in the water 27 نوع من �لهائمات �ملائية يف عينات �ملياه من �ملناطق �ملختارة. وقد ك�سفت samples from the selected localities. The findings of the current ً ً study have exposed the significant effect of seasonal changes and نتائج �لدر��سة �حلالية تاأثري� كبري� للتغري�ت �ملو�سمية و�ﻻرتفاعات varied altitudes on occurrence of diatoms. A variety of commonly �ملتنوعة على تو�جد وتنوع �لهائمات. كما حددت جمموعة متنوعة من -occurring site restricted diatoms were identified in the water sam �لهائمات �ل�سائعة و�ملقيدة �ملو�قع يف عينات �ملياه. ميكن �أن تكون هذه .ples �ملعلومات �ملفيدة مهمة �أثناء حل ق�سايا �لغرق يف مناطق حمددة عندما This useful information can be significant while investigating drowning cases from this particular region when the drowning site يكون مو�سع �لغرق �إما مو�سع �سك �أو غري معروف. .is either questioned or unknown الكلمات املفتاحية: علوم �ﻻأدلة �جلنائية، �لهائمات �ملائية، �لغرق، ,Keywords: Forensic Sciences, Diatoms, Drowning, Altitude �ﻻرتفاع، ف�سول �ل�سنة. .Seasons * Corresponding Author: Rajinder Singh Production and hosting by NAUSS Email: [email protected] doi: 10.26735/16586794.2018.027 1658-6794© 2018. AJFSFM. This is an open access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution-NonCommercial License. 1014 Effect of Altitudinal and Seasonal Factors on Diatomological Mapping of Waterbodies: Implication in Drowning Investigations 1. Introduction by diatom test should be considered positive only when the Diatoms are microscopic, single-celled algae that have number of diatoms is above the minimal established limit intricate glass-like outer cell walls partially composed of i.e. 20 diatoms/ 100µl of pellet obtained by enzymatic di- silicon. Different species of diatom can be identified based gestion of 10 gm of lung sample, and 5 diatoms from other upon the structure of these walls. Many diatom species are distant organs. Furthermore, a positive comparison of dia- planktonic, suspended in the water column moving accord- toms extracted from a bone marrow sample and reference ing to water currents. Diatoms have been extensively used water body sample should be achieved to draw a positive over the years to understand ecology, climate and other conclusion towards ante-mortem drowning or post-mortem aspects related to water bodies. There is also an impor- drowning. This criterion is called ‘Criterion of Concor- tant use of diatoms to answer queries related to drowning dance’ [3-4]. The diatom test can further be strengthened cases i.e. to determine the putative site of drowning and by corroborating it with other circumstantial evidences. also to differentiate between ante-mortem and post mortem Beside the positive aspects of a diatom test, the reliability drowning. In Ante-mortem drowning, a person is still alive and applicability of diatom test is in dispute. Some scien- and immersed in water. In such cases, some water enters tists have found diatoms in the tissues and bone marrow of the lung cavity with force and exerts pressure on the lung living people [25]. This observation needs more research walls. Owing to this pressure, lung alveoli get ruptured and as few forensic scientists have contributed to this particular water reaches the blood stream. Till the last heartbeat, wa- issue [3-5]. ter keeps on mixing with the blood and during this course Drowning can be defined as death due to full or par- some diatoms (if present in the water), particularly the tial submersion in a fluid. It is a medicolegal inquiry where smaller ones, are also pushed into the blood circulation both the medical practitioner and forensic expert are in- from where they reach the vital organs like the liver, spleen, volved. During autopsy, the medical practitioner examines kidneys, brain and bone marrow. It is the respiratory pres- the classical findings present in the freshly drowned bodies sure which helps diatoms to reach these distant organs. On i.e. the signs of drowning such as large amounts of froth the other hand, the chance of diatoms entering in distant vi- present around nostrils and mouth, and inflated and water tal organs remains negligible, if the person is already dead logged lungs etc., which may help to diagnose the case of and is thrown into the water (post-mortem immersion). In drowning. The forensic expert uses this unicellular micro- certain instances, however, the diatoms can be directed in organism in diatom test to confirm drowning as a cause the lungs even in the case of post-mortem drowning when, of death [1-2]. Use of diatoms has also been reported in due to the passive absorption of water, diatoms can reach the localization of a putative site of drowning [8]. Quali- the lung cavity without entering further into the body [2]. tative and quantitative diatomological research from dif- The diatomological profile of a particular water body ferent localities can make it possible. Continuous river may be taken as reference to compare the diatoms recov- monitoring and diatomological mapping (D-maps) of wa- ered from the drowned body trapped in apprehensive cir- ter bodies has been a great success [3-4]. These methods cumstances of drowning [3-5]. The diagnosis of drowning of diatom research characterize water bodies on the basis of diatom profiles generated following parameters such as Kaur et al. 1015 seasonal changes and water quality. Diatom communities homicides also take place in these types of water bodies. exist almost everywhere. The communities that live in wa- An important study confirmed 514 cases of drowning from ter usually consist of more species than those communi- Himachal Pradesh from 2006 to 2010 [19]. The literature ties found in aerial habitats or in soil [9-10]. These fac- survey has not produced any study on diatom flora of water tors are essential for the forensic investigator to solve the bodies from Himachal Pradesh, especially in connection to suspected drowning cases [11]. Each lake or pond can de- forensic science. Hence, here we present a comprehensive velop a distinctive floral community comprised of specific and prominent study of diatom distributions from lakes in populations of species. Water bodies with similar physical Himachal Pradesh. An important and interesting aspect and chemical characteristics may develop particular algal of this study was to screen diatoms from the water bodies communities by which they may be distinguished. Diatoms flowing at different altitudes. grow in practically all bodies of water, but a few may re- strict and survive in only particular habitats [10]. It is sci- 2. Materials and Methods entifically proven that the growth of diatoms may be highly 2.1 Study Areas and Collection of Samples diversified and specific depending upon seasonal (light and Eight water bodies namely Renuka lake, Macchial temperature) and other conditions such as salinity, pH and lake, Gobind Sagar lake, Rewalsar lake, Manikaran, Pon- nutrient contents of water [22]. Beside this, the intra water doh dam, Prashar lake and Nako lake were chosen from bodies studies were conducted to find the exact drowning known heights above sea level to test the variable of of site [12]. In conclusion, the distributional patterns of dia- low, mid and high altitudes.