Diatomological Mapping of water bodies of Indore region for forensic consideration

Diatoms are one of the most commonly found microscopic algae in almost all water bodies across the globe. Its cosmopolitan distribution, coupled with its variance in species, makes it an ideal identification marker across various fields of study, including Environmental and Forensic efforts. This paper aims to identify Diatoms across 5 water bodies around the Indore region, chosen based on their significance as tourist hotspots and prior cases associated with them regarding drowning deaths. The Samples were collected from five different sites (Bilavali Lake, Gulavat, Sirpur Upper Lake, Sirpur Lower Lake, and Regional Park) and from three different surfaces (free-flowing water, submerged plant life, and Debris and rocks submerged up to 3 meters from the shore). Sample digestion was performed using the reverse aqua regia method. Micrographs were taken of various genera of diatoms at 1000X magnification. More than 500 micrographs were taken, and among them, nearly 100 individual diatoms identifiable up to their genera are included in this study. The findings of this study indicate a periodic, detailed analysis of the diatom genera, which can significantly aid in forensic and environmental endeavors.