The most common application of diatoms in forensic science is the determination of drowning death. A body discovered from the water does not always mean that the death was caused by drowning. If the individual is still alive when they reach the water, diatoms will enter their lungs and cause them to drown. Circulation then transports the diatoms to distant regions of the body such as the brain, kidneys, lungs, and bone marrow. If the individual is dead when they enter the water, there is no circulation, and the transport of diatom cells to various organs is hampered by the absence of circulation, and diatoms cannot enter the body. It is possible to determine whether the drowning occurred ante-mortem or post-mortem. By detecting diatoms in tissue samples, the diatom test has emerged as one of the most essential tests in forensic science. Drowned bodies and water samples from potential drownings are typically sent to Forensic Science Laboratories for diatom detection. The acid digestion test has been determined to be one of the most effective ways for assessing cases of forensic drowning.

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